​

Website: Pokémon Go​

Core value prop of the product - Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go transforms everyday activities into exciting adventures by blending augmented reality with real-world exploration. Here's why it's more than just a game:

• Core Experience: Catch Pokémon in your neighborhood effortlessly, turning daily walks into thrilling hunts.
• AR Exploration: Your surroundings become a lively playground, making even routine fun.
• Social and Community Events: Connect with friends for Gym battles and raids from any location, foresting the sense of community.
• Event Participation: Gain easy access to special events with discounts, keeping the game fresh and engaging.

#ReThinkAdventure #GetUpAndCatch #RevivingAdventure

Key Metrics to Track for Core value prop

1. Core Experience
2. • Activity: Catching 10 Pokémon within the first 2 days.
   • Why It Matters: Shows players are actively catching Pokémon, which is the main part of the game.
   • What to Track: How many Pokémon are caught.
3. AR Exploration
4. • Activity: Visiting 5 PokéStops within the first 3 days.
   • Why It Matters: Players are exploring and interacting with real-world places using AR, which is key to the game's exploration.
   • What to Track: How many PokéStops they visit.
5. Social and Community Events
6. • Activities:
   • • Engaging in 1 Gym Battle within the first 5 days.
     • Joining a Raid within the first 7 days.
     • Trading Pokémon with a friend within the first 10 days.
   • Why It Matters: These activities involve playing with others, showing how players are part of the game’s social community.
   • What to Track: Participation in gym battles, raids, and trades.
7. Event Participation
8. • Activity: Participating in a Community Day event within the first month.
   • Why It Matters: Attending these events is crucial for community involvement and fun.
   • What to Track: Participation in events.

​Hypothesis:
A user is considered an "active user" in Pokémon Go if they regularly do at least one of the following: play every day, trade or battle with others, or participate in special events. This approach recognizes that active users might engage with the game in different ways, but any of these activities show they are actively involved.

Natural Frequency of Core Value Prop

• Casual Users: Play occasionally, mostly for fun or when it's convenient, without much commitment to the game's ongoing events or features.
• Core Users: Engage regularly with the game a few times a week, participating in both solo and social activities, and keeping up with events.
• Power Users: Play multiple times a day, deeply involved in all aspects of the game, from daily challenges to community events and advanced strategies.

​

​

Engagement Framework

Rationale

• Frequency: It’s important for games that update often to see how regularly players come back. Tracking how often they play tells us if the game keeps them interested.
• Depth: Seeing how long players stay each time they play helps us understand if they are having fun and staying engaged.
• Breadth: Checking if players try different parts of the game lets us know if they find the whole game enjoyable or just some parts. This can help us make the game better.

Applying Engagement Framework to User type

​

​

Rationale for the Demographics:

• Age Group: Pokémon Go is popular among people who grew up with Pokémon (called Loyalists) and younger people who are good with technology and have more free time (called Champions).
• Gender: The game attracts both males and females equally. They might play the game differently or like different aspects of it.
• Demographic: The game is more engaging in cities in India because there are more game features like PokéStops and Gyms. But people in smaller towns and the countryside also play a lot, especially since the game has been made easier to play in those areas.

Engagement

We're concentrating on social interactions, competition, and exploration, which are fundamental human behaviors.

​

​Product Hooks for Pokémon Go:​

1. PokéBuddy Challenges:​

Goal: Enhance player engagement and social interaction by facilitating team-based gameplay experiences.

​

Success Metrics: Target a 20% increase in collaborative play and a 15% rise in in-game social interactions within 6 months.

​

Problem: Pokémon Go predominantly caters to solo gameplay experiences, leaving players craving more interactive and social elements.

​

Solution:

Introducing "PokéBuddy Challenges," a novel game mode enabling players to form teams with friends and embark on various collaborative tasks, such as capturing Pokémon or engaging in battles.

​

How It Works:

• Players team up with friends to tackle challenges collectively.
• They select challenges from a range of options available.
• Progress is tracked, and rewards are granted upon completion of challenges.
• ​

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Number of teams engaging in collaborative play.
• Frequency and extent of in-game communication among players.
• Completion rates of team-based challenges.

Milestone: Aim to achieve a 50% participation rate among players in forming teams and engaging in collaborative gameplay.

2. City Champions:

​

Goal: Foster a sense of local pride and competition among players by introducing city-level leaderboards.

Success Metrics: Aim for a 25% increase in competitive gameplay and a 20% rise in leaderboard activity within 6 months.

Problem: Players lack avenues to showcase their skills at a local level, with the global leaderboard often feeling distant and unattainable.

Solution:

Launching "City Champions," a feature that allows players to compete with fellow trainers within their city and vie for top positions on city-specific leaderboards.

​

How It Works:

• Players opt to participate in their city's leaderboard.
• Their achievements contribute to their ranking on the leaderboard.
• Rewards are offered to top-performing players, who can then progress to higher-level leaderboards.

KPIs:

• Engagement levels with the city leaderboards.
• Player efforts to improve their rankings on the leaderboard.
• Participation rates in city championships.

Milestone: Target a 40% participation rate among players residing in major cities to join their respective city leaderboards.

3. PokéExplorer Quests:​

Goal: Encourage players to explore new locations within the game environment by introducing exploration-based challenges.

Success Metrics: Strive for a 30% increase in exploration gameplay and a 20% rise in the discovery of new locations within 6 months.

Problem: Players tend to remain confined to familiar areas, limiting the exploration aspect of the game.

Solution:

Introducing "PokéExplorer Quests," which task players with visiting diverse locations, such as beaches or parks, to discover unique Pokémon and items.

How It Works:

• Players enroll in PokéExplorer Quests.
• They receive challenges prompting them to explore new areas.
• Unique Pokémon and items await discovery at these locations.
• Completion of quests yields additional rewards and badges.

KPIs:

• Percentage of players actively exploring new territories.
• Number of new locations discovered by players.
• Completion rates of PokéExplorer Quests.

Milestone: Aim for a 35% participation rate among players in joining PokéExplorer Quests and exploring new locations.

​

Based on above Hooks we have new Updates and New Features:

• PokéBuddy Challenges Update: Introducing new challenges and rewards to sustain game excitement.
• City Champions Expansion: Extending leaderboards to additional cities and introducing fresh prizes.

PokéExplorer Quests Enhancement: Introducing diverse quest types and expanding the range of exploration locations.

Engagement Campaigns

1. Campaign: PokéBuddy Challenges

​

The Hook

Join PokéBuddy Challenges!

Segmentation

Casual Players

Goal

Get casual Pokémon Go players to team up with friends for more fun and friendship.

Pitch/Content

"We've got a new way to play Pokémon Go! Team up with your friends and try our PokéBuddy Challenges. It's a whole new level of fun!"

Insights

Playing Pokémon has always been about friends and teamwork. With Pokémon Go, we can make it even better by playing together in real life. It's all about having fun with your friends!

Offer

• Play fun tasks with your friends.
• Finish 5 challenges together in a week.
• Earn a cool "PokéBuddy Badge" for your profile.
• Bonus: After completing 5 challenges, you get access to a special area in the game just for you and your friends!

Channel

You'll get notifications in the game.

Frequency & Timing

We'll remind you on Friday nights when you're planning your weekend fun. We'll also remind you every day to keep playing.

Success Metrics

We'll see more casual players playing with their friends and having a great time. We'll also see lots of people hanging out in the special PokéBuddy Lounge.

Ramp-up Milestones

• Share hints about the campaign with 10% of players a week before it starts to make them curious.
• Let 25% of trainers start using the campaign to see how they like it and hear what they think.
• Launch the campaign for all players, making changes based on what we learned from the first group.

​

2. Campaign: City Champions

​

The Hook

Be a City Champion!

Segmentation

Competitive Players

Goal

We want Pokémon Go players to compete with others in their city and become the best!

Pitch/Content

"Show everyone how good you are at Pokémon Go! Join City Champions and become the best trainer in your city!"

Insights

People love to show off their skills, especially to their neighbors. With City Champions, you can be the best in your city and everyone will know it!

Offer

• Compete with others in your city.
• Get to the top of the city leaderboard.
• Get a special "City Champion Badge" for your profile.
• Bonus: The best players get to play in special events and win rare Pokémon!

Channel

You'll get notifications in the game.

Frequency & Timing

We'll remind you at the start of each month, and we'll remind you every week to keep playing.

Success Metrics

We'll see lots of people trying to be the best in their city. And we'll see lots of people playing in the special events for the best players.

Ramp-up Milestones

• Share small clues about the campaign with 10% of players a week before it starts. These hints will tell them about the special events and challenges coming up.
• Let 30% of trainers try out the campaign first. We want to hear what they think and see how they compete with each other.
• Launch the campaign for everyone once we've made any needed changes based on the feedback we got. Now, all players can join in on the fun!

Campaign: PokéExplorer

​

The Hook

Discover with PokéExplorer Quests!

Segmentation

Players who love adventures

Goal

We want Pokémon Go players to explore new places and have fun finding things.

Pitch/Content

"Explore the world with Pokémon Go! Try our PokéExplorer Quests and find hidden treasures near you!"

Insights

Pokémon Go is all about exploring, and we want to make it even more fun! With PokéExplorer Quests, you can find cool stuff while you're out and about.

Offer

• Go on adventures and find cool things.
• Visit lots of different places.
• Get a special "PokéExplorer Badge" for your profile.
• Bonus: You might find rare Pokémon and special items while you explore!

Channel

You'll get notifications in the game.

Frequency & Timing

We'll remind you at the start of each weekend, and we'll remind you every day to keep exploring.

Success Metrics

We'll see lots of people going out to explore. And we'll see lots of people finding cool stuff and sharing it with their friends.

Ramp-up Milestones

• Share some clues or shadowy images of the special Pokémon that players can find during exploration with 10% of users a week before the campaign starts. This will get them excited to search for these unique creatures.
• Let 30% of trainers start exploring with the campaign. We'll listen to their feedback and see how they like to explore different places.
• Launch the campaign for all players once we've made any changes based on what we learned. Now, everyone can join in the adventure and find those special Pokémon!

Retention for Pokémon GO

Overview of Pokémon GO

​

​Timeline:

• 2016:
• • July: Pokémon Go is launched and quickly becomes a global cultural phenomenon.
  • August: The game achieves about 45 million daily active users globally.
  • Pokémon Go grosses over $1 billion in lifetime revenue within its first seven months.
  • At its peak, the game draws in over 250 million people per month. However, by December, this number falls to less than 50 million.
• 2017:
• • Pokémon Go experiences a slump, with the active user base dropping to its lowest levels of 65 million users.
• 2018:
• • The user base rises to 133 million.
• 2019:
• • By February, Pokémon Go achieves over 1 billion downloads worldwide.
  • The game's lifetime revenue reaches $3 billion by October.
  • The United States accounts for 19 percent of Pokémon Go downloads this year.
• 2020:
• • Pokémon Go surpasses $1 billion in revenue for the first time this year.
  • Niantic makes adjustments to the game in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding the interaction radius from 40 meters to 80 meters.
• 2021:
• • Pokémon Go generates $1.21 billion in revenue.
  • The game has 71 million users this year.
  • Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, is valued at $9 billion.

• 2023:
• • Pokémon Go maintains an estimated 4 million active users.
  • The game generates $566 million in in-app purchase revenues.
  • The average number of active Pokémon Go players is 82,945,023.
• 2024:
• • As of January 10, 2024, Pokémon Go has an average of 81 million monthly users.
  • The maximum daily player count is 5.40 million.
  • The US has the most number of Pokémon Go daily active users with 827,205 iPhone users.

​

​

Pokémon Go's Retention Analysis

Newly Onboarded Users (As of 2024)

Current Retention Rate (based on available data and user insights):

• As of April 13, 2024 Pokémon Go's daily player count stands at 5,950,000. Approximately 2% of these are new users, totaling 119,000.
• D1 Retention: Assuming a D1 retention rate of 60%, around 71,400 new users are expected to return the next day.
• D30 Retention: With a 30% retention rate by D30, roughly 35,700 new users remain active after a month.
• D60 & D90 Retention:
• • D60: Assuming a 20% retention from the D30 number, around 7,140 new users remain active by day 60.
  • D90: Further assuming a 15% retention from the D60 number, we'd have approximately 1,071 new users remaining by day 90.

Insights from the Analysis:

• Initial Engagement: The high D1 retention suggests effective initial engagement strategies such as tutorials and starter Pokémon selection.
• Drop-off Points: Significant drop from D30 to D60 indicates areas for improvement, suggesting potential strategies to retain new users during this period.
• Conversion to Core Users: Despite declining rates, there's potential for converting some new users into core users, especially if engagement is maintained beyond the initial 90 days.

​ICPs Driving Retention:

1. Urban Millennials with a Nostalgic Connection: High retention due to childhood memories of Pokémon and engaging AR mechanics.
2. Fitness Enthusiasts in Urban Settings: Motivated by fitness goals, they find Pokémon Go's mechanics align well with their active lifestyle.

Most Effective Channels:

• In-app notifications and push notifications remain highly effective in retaining users, especially for engaging ICPs.

Pivotal Sub-features and Sub-products:

• Community Days and Gym Battles continue to drive engagement, offering both social interaction and competitive gameplay.
• Pokémon Go Plus+ and Mega Raids enhance player experience, bridging virtual and real-world activities while offering exclusive rewards.

Understanding Churn among Pokémon GO users :

Voluntary Churn

• Game Gets Boring: Catching the same Pokémon over and over gets old.
• Nothing Left to Achieve: Once you reach the top level, there's not much more to do.
• Tech Troubles: Sometimes the game crashes or doesn't work right.
• Safety Worries: People get scared of getting into trouble while playing.
• Too Many Events: Too many events happening too often can be overwhelming.
• Newer Games Catch Attention: Players find other games they like better.

Involuntary Churn:

• Not Enough Nearby Stops: Some areas don't have enough places to play the game.
• Old Phones Can't Keep Up: The game updates, but older phones can't handle it.
• Life Changes: People's daily routines change, and they don't have time to play anymore.
• Money Issues: Buying things in the game costs money, and not everyone can afford it.
• Bad Weather Makes It Hard: Extreme weather stops people from playing outside.

​

Understanding Negative Actions among Pokémon GO users

All Users

• Playing Less: They're not playing as much as they used to.
• Giving Bad Reviews: They keep saying bad things about the game.
• Skipping Events: They're not participating in special events or missions.
• Constant Complaints: They're always unhappy, especially after updates.
• Less Social: They're not playing with others as often as before.

Power Users in Danger of Becoming Core Users

• Ignoring Big Raids: They're not joining big battles like they used to.
• Catching Fewer Pokémon: They're not catching as many every day.
• Missing Streaks: They're not playing every day anymore.
• Not Battling as Much: They're not fighting other players or teams as often.
• Avoiding New Features: They're not interested in trying out the latest additions to the game.

Core Users in Danger of Becoming Casual Users

• Losing Streaks: They're not playing every day anymore.
• Skipping Special Days: They're not showing up for special events.
• Ignoring Updates: They're not interested in the latest game changes.
• Not Meeting Goals: They're not completing daily or weekly tasks like they used to.
• Playing Occasionally: They only play when there's something big happening in the game.

Casual Users in Danger of Churning

• Long Periods of Inactivity: They haven't played in over a month.
• Only Playing During Big Events: They only join in when there's a major event.
• Avoiding Battles and Trades: They're not engaging in the social aspects of the game.
• Ignoring Missions: They're not interested in completing special tasks anymore.

​

Resurrection Campaigns for Pokémon GO

1.Campaign - Pokémon GO Adventure Revival

​

1. Teaser Phase: Share mysterious teasers of the upcoming adventure a month prior to the launch.
2. Announcement Phase: Reveal details of the new region and its exclusive features two weeks before the event.
3. Exploration Phase: Encourage players to explore the new region and share their discoveries on social media platforms.
4. Celebration Phase: Recognize top explorers, share their stories, and distribute rewards.

Why will it work?

1. Sense of Discovery: Introducing a new region brings back the thrill of exploration for high-level players who have exhausted content in existing areas.
2. Exclusive Rewards: Offering exclusive Pokémon and rewards incentivizes players to engage with the new content.
3. Community Engagement: Encouraging players to share their discoveries fosters a sense of community and excitement around the new adventure.

2.Campaign - Pokémon GO Community Reunion

1. Teaser Phase: Tease the upcoming Community Reunion event and its exclusive bonuses and rewards a month prior to the event.
2. Invitation Phase: Send personalized invitations to former players inviting them to join the Community Reunion event.
3. Reunion Phase: Host the Community Reunion event with special in-game bonuses, rewards, and live demonstrations of recent updates.
4. Follow-up Phase: Follow up with attendees post-event, gather feedback, and provide ongoing support for returning players.

Why will it work?

1. Nostalgia: Inviting former players to a Community Reunion event taps into feelings of nostalgia, encouraging them to revisit Pokémon GO and relive fond memories.
2. Exclusive Rewards: Offering special in-game bonuses and rewards incentivizes former players to return and participate in the event.
3. Community Engagement: Hosting a Community Reunion event fosters a sense of community among current and former players, strengthening bonds and encouraging ongoing engagement with Pokémon GO.

3.Campaign - Pokémon GO Compatibility Checkup

​

1. Teaser Phase: Tease the launch of Pokémon GO Lite as a solution for device compatibility issues a month prior to the release.
2. Launch Phase: Officially launch Pokémon GO Lite with detailed information on its features and compatibility.
3. Support Phase: Provide ongoing support and updates for Pokémon GO Lite, addressing user feedback and improving compatibility.

Why will it work?

1. Accessibility: Offering a Lite Version of Pokémon GO ensures that players with older devices can continue playing, preventing churn due to device incompatibility.
2. Retention: By providing a solution to compatibility issues, Pokémon GO Lite retains players who might otherwise have stopped playing.
3. Positive Player Experience: Optimizing the Lite Version for older devices ensures a smoother gameplay experience, enhancing player satisfaction and engagement.

​

4. Campaign - Pokémon GO Seasonal Challenges

1. Teaser Phase: Tease the upcoming Seasonal Challenge and its exclusive rewards a month prior to the start of the season.
2. Launch Phase: Officially launch the Seasonal Challenge with details on its objectives, rewards, and duration.
3. Participation Phase: Encourage players to participate in the Seasonal Challenge and share their experiences on social media platforms.
4. Celebration Phase: Celebrate the completion of the Seasonal Challenge, recognize top participants, and distribute rewards.

Why will it work?

1. Adaptability: Offering seasonal challenges ensures that players can continue enjoying Pokémon GO regardless of external weather conditions.
2. Variety: Introducing seasonal events and rewards adds variety to gameplay, keeping it fresh and engaging for players.
3. Community Engagement: Encouraging players to share their experiences fosters a sense of community and camaraderie, enhancing player engagement during adverse weather conditions.

​

​

​