by In the summer of 2016, an augmented reality game called Pokemon Go took the world by storm.
The game is a mobile app that allows you to “hunt” for the creatures from the hit card game Pokemon using augmented reality, which puts the Pokemon into the real world through a user’s phone camera and allows them to “catch the all,” as the tagline goes.
Guinness World Records reports that the app had the highest revenue of any mobile game in its first month — a whopping $207 million, with 500 million downloads just five months later.
But since then, a new Pokemon game has hit the market, and it has the potential to make young people care more about getting better sleep.
It was released July 17, and game developer Niantic says it aims to “transform sleep into entertainment” through the app, which monitors sleep patterns and rewards users for time spent sleeping.
If we look back at Pokemon Go’s numbers, it’s clear that if Pokemon Sleep has the same success, it could change the way a generation of people look at the value of sleep.
There are so many ways a retailer can use this to their advantage, from selling more accessories to ingraining the importance of an entire sleep system in the brains of Gen Z and beyond.
When people start tracking their sleep and realize they aren’t sleeping as well as they could, that’s a great opportunity for retailers to step in and offer accessories like pillows, sheets or even adjustable bases to help customers get better sleep.
You can even tie it into the game with something like “Come into the store and show us your Pokemon Sleep schedule and get 10% off of a new pillow.”
And think about the brand building it could create. You can use Pokemon Sleep to keep in touch with consumers and get them sleep tips that will help them in the game. And then when they’re ready to buy a new mattress or bedding, they’ll already have you in mind.
In the long term, the game could change the way younger generations will grow up viewing sleep. If they use the app, they’ll be tracking sleep, which will give them a better idea of how important it is to get a good night’s rest.
And who’s to say this stops with Pokemon Sleep?
Even when younger generations outgrow Pokemon Sleep, that habit of tracking their sleep could stick, so when they’re adults, they’ll already be on the right track to caring about their sleep and health.
And whether that’s through sleep-tracking wearables, beds with sleep-tracking technology built in, or other games or apps that track sleep, the key is to get people to think about their sleep quality, which is always a good thing for the bedding and mattress industry.
With the game officially released, you have a big opportunity to be one of the first to incorporate it into your store branding and social media. How will you do it?
