Yesterday, April Fool’s Day, Google released a YouTube video announcing a competition to find Pokémon. Each person who sought out a hidden Pokémon in a real world location could become a Pokémon Master. Even though the augmented reality was part of the prank, you can participate in the Google Pokemon Challenge on Google Maps in real world locations until this evening.
There’s a lot of reasons this prank works in Google’s favour, but here are the three major content marketing lessons to take away from the search giant’s Pokémon Challenge:
1. Know your audience. Pokemon may seem a bit on the nerdy side, but it attracts a large following of people with a good amount of spare time. Spare time which is now being used to spread Google’s name.
2. Pick your moment. Timely content works. It might seem like stating the obvious but your audience will be more receptive to a prank on April Fool’s Day.
3. Call to action. This doesn’t just get people watching, it gets people doing. Content that engages audiences creates experiences, inviting them to come along for the ride. It isn’t just about watching, it’s also about doing. Google didn’t just make this a video prank, it also made something users could do in real life, thereby generating a bigger buzz and more conversation.
If you want to build a buzz with your audience, get in touch. You can catch us all DVO on 020 3771 2461, email us at [email protected] or tweet us: @DVOagency.
