As this week’s record-breaking temperatures across Canada make it increasingly more difficult for even the most dedicated Pokémon Go player to catch ’em all, a Toronto-based energy services company is reminding them that frigid times are ahead – and helping them cool off in the meantime.
Enercare Inc., which provides water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, and other HVAC products and related services to some 1.6 million customers annually, recently adopted Pokémon Go as its theme for a promotion on Facebook, in which customers who find the Enercare Pokéstop* will discover not another Drowzee, but an offer for a free air conditioner if they purchase a furnace from the company.
“With the record-breaking warm weather this summer, we know many Canadians are out looking for great deals on air conditioners, just like many are also playing the latest craze in social gaming,” Enercare CMO Lorne Solway told ITBusiness.ca.
Solway said the company’s marketing team is always looking for opportunities to create “fun and engaging” content for Facebook viewers, and Pokéstops, which are analogous to real-life landmarks and tend to attract a high number of players, seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“We were inspired by all the excitement around Pokémon Go and decided it would be an interesting way to promote our latest sale on Facebook,” he said.
As of this writing, the post itself has received 50 reactions, with Enercare receiving a higher volume of calls since the offer was posted on Aug. 8, Solway said, though he did not give exact numbers.
“Social gaming and augmented reality are certainly hot trends this summer, and we felt that incorporating them into our marketing would help us connect with consumers looking for a great deal on heating and air conditioning,” he said, noting that the offer will remain in place until Sept. 18.
*That said, we regret to inform Pokémon Go players that Enercare’s headquarters are not a real Pokéstop and that the Facebook post was a mock-up.
While many small businesses have taken advantage of real-life Pokéstops to increase their foot traffic, Pokémon Go developer Niantic has yet to introduce a way for small business owners to actually turn their stores into Pokéstops or gyms – though CEO John Hanke has said the company will be adding “sponsored locations,” with charges based on foot traffic, in the near future.
