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Could Pokémon Go change how businesses view and gather data?



data analyst and pokemon go

The Pokémon game which many may remember from childhood bears little resemblance to the augmented reality Pokémon Go app which has taken the gaming and app world by storm over the past few weeks.

Within hours of launch, Pokémon Go was the number one downloaded game of all time. Bar the fact that financially the game did extremely well on its first day, grossing between $3.9 million and $4.9 million from in-app purchases alone; this seemingly over used title does not do the “power” of this game justice because of the user generated data the game gathers.

Where the long-term monetary value for Pokémon Go may lie is in the geospatial data that is collected every time a user logs into the app and this could be the boost that geo-location advertising needs to really take off.

Still seen as a nice to have, geo-location tied to a game such as Pokémon Go can deliver much more detailed insight into the consumer behaviour our clients are interested in outside the basic need to find directions to a location as so many use the function on their mobile devices.

Importantly, businesses can buy Pokémon lures and use them to not only attract Pokémon, but as advertising to attract customers to their locations. Meaning that digital analysts may need to turn their attention in a different data led direction.

It still remains to be seen if Niantic, the makers of Pokémon Go will develop this route with the data they collect. But what is certain is that as the biggest US mobile game ever, they are in a strong position to change how data is collected and used online, within apps and how future software is developed for smartphones.

Agree or disagree, what is undeniable is that the game has had a massive impact on how mobiles are used, and this could mean a big shakeup in digital analytics is on the horizon. In order to stay relevant and ahead of the curve, companies may need to shift the skillsets they recruit for, and data analysts may need to more carefully assess the training they participate in.

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