SEATTLE–Could Pokemon GO help credit unions add new members?
Verity CU thinks that’s likely, and is piloting a campaign to attract Pokemon GO players to two of its newest branches.
The effort, said Melina Young, Verity director of marketing and brand, raises awareness of the new locations and the credit union, but is more about a low-cost means of getting new business.
To get the players to the branches and hopefully inside to chase down a monster and then talk to staff, Verity is setting “lures” within the Pokemon GO game. Lures cost about $1 and last for 30 minutes. When set, they attract Pokemon to the lure’s location.
The $490-million CU then waits for Pokemon to appear, and when they do, lets players know through Facebook and Twitter. Staff at the two offices are also handing out credit union swag to individuals playing the game in or around the branch, letting the players charge their phones inside the CU, and handing out water.
“We will evaluate this effort soon to see how effective it is,” explained Young, who said staff in the first week had dozens of conversations with players. “This can be a great way to get new business without having to pay a lot to do that.”
Poke Stops
Lures right now can only be set near a Poke Stop or a gym, said Young, bringing Pokemon within a 10- to 15-foot radius of the stop.
“We two to three have Poke Stops near our two new offices,” said Young.
She added that the CU’s offices also need to be close enough to a Poke Stop so that Pokemon will actually come inside.
“We are fortunate that is the case at our two new branches,” said Young. “That gets players to come into the credit union.”
Lure set in Ballard office
Verity, too, is sending staff just outside the offices to talk with players. Young said that Verity plans to place posters on the two locations’ doors and windows letting players know there could be Pokemon inside the credit union.
“We set lure at a time when the branch is fully staffed, giving us enough employees so we can go outside where most of the players are,” said Young.
Verity also has staff playing the game, not only to see where Pokemon are inside and around the office, but also to drive intelligent conversations about the game.
“If staff play the game they understand it and can have a meaningful opening conversation with a player,” said Young. “Players can tell if you know the game or not. That knowledgeable conversation opens the door and then staff can talk about the credit union.”
Special Promos
Young said Verity may introduce special promotions tied to the game, such as giving players who catch a Pokemon inside the credit union cash if they open a new checking account. “Ways to incent some kind of action from players,” she said. “This is all about getting new members, new loans, new checking accounts . . .”
Young said that she is not aware of any other financial institution in the area running Pokemon GO promotions. However, she thinks that will change if the game allows businesses to buy, or sponsor, Poke Stops, which Young said reports indicate is coming.
Young said if the promotion is effective it could be expanded to more offices.
“We will consider extending this to other branches near Poke Stops, and we might sponsor Poke Stops if that option becomes available,” said Young. “Pokemon GO is what people are talking about right now, so we decided to use the game to have a different type of conversation in our communities.”