Will you take a ride on a PokeMobile?

(marketingmagazine.com.my) –By: Malati Siniah

Pokemon may not have reached Malaysian shores, however, all indications point that it will soon be launched.

Rumours are rife on when the game, which now has more users than Twitter, will reach Malaysia. Though there has not been any official announcements of the game being launched in Malaysia, netizens who checked the website, MMO Server Status, which gives live updates on game servers, noted that Malaysia’s server for the game had been listed.

Despite some parties calling to ban the game in Malaysia, Pokemon Go is the second most searched topic on Google according to a study by iPrice.

Infographic by iPrice. Click here for a full overview of the research

Beyond the buzz and numbers, Malaysian marketing professionals to seem to be in love with the game.

“I love it. This is a whole new generation of multiplayer mixed reality play and will set the norms for games of the future. The way it allows physical world to be married with the virtual, a lot of mommies will be relieved. (Unless it becomes dangerous)” shared Prashant Kumar, Senior Partner at Entropia.

He added that the game provided brands with a unique opportunity to marry experiences with the location in a highly engaging way.

Timothy Johnson – Senior VP of Marketing, INTI International University & Colleges who had high hopes for the game shared,

“I think that the success of Pokemon GO has totally opened up the idea of making AI easily accessible to the mainstream market. The early business adopters have realized very quickly how to ‘lure’ people to their businesses and increase foot traffic.”

“After the hype has died down, the savvy marketers will start to break the numbers down and will have to figure out what the cost per foot traffic is and the engagement generated.” added Timothy.

In a bid to get ahead of the competition Hotlink and ride sharing app, Grab took a bold move to announce its latest tie-up to the game ahead of its launch in Malaysia.

Under the tagline ‘the latest, safest and fastest way to hunt Pokémons’ the brands launched four limited edition PokeMobiles. For the first two days following the launch of the game, all Pokémon GO players can book a free ride to the nearest PokeStop by selecting the PokeMobile button on their GrabApp.

In anticipation of the game, both Grab and Hotlink announced that for the first two days following the launch of the game, all Pokémon GO players can book a free ride to the nearest PokeStop by selecting the PokeMobile button on their GrabApp. Since Pokémon hunting is known to be energy-draining for both players and their phone batteries, each of the PokeMobiles are specially equipped with refreshments, Grab Goodie Bag, Hotlink PokeChargers for your phone, and a Hotlink Fast 4G widescreen monitor.

The brand is also giving out free USD100 worth of PokeCoins via Hotlink Cash Online. This is equivalent to 14,500 PokeCoins, which players can instantly exchange for items such as Pokemon lures and egg incubators for additional gaming advantage.

“We are aware there is a huge Pokémon following in Malaysia and we wanted to join in the trill of the game. As Grab has always been focused on providing safe, comfortable, convenient and affordable rides, we wanted to encourage and help Pokémon Trainers hunt for the Pokémons while traveling from one PokeStop to another safely.”

“In addition to our exclusive PokeMobiles, players can truly enjoy an immersive Pokémon Go experience and up their ante as each car comes equipped with a special Grab goodie bag, a car handphone charger and water for uninterrupted gaming pleasure,” said Jaygan Fu, Country Manager of Grab Malaysia.

Navin Manian, Maxis’s head of prepaid, consumer business shared that Hotlink Cash Online promoted in the campaign gave Hotlink customers the convenience of a single currency for all their app and gaming needs.

The 5th Malaysian Chief Marketing Officers (CMO) Conference is a full day journey into the minds of some of the sharpest and most inspiring minds in the business.

The market is in a state of flux. Media fragmentation has gone wild. Digital is exciting but also a minefield if handled wrong. Marketers need stamina, focus and a scalable approach to strategies. ROI has never been more confusing.

Hear from these dynamic and feisty brand leaders on how they are facing the New Realities:

• Loh Keh Jiat – CMO, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd
• Raja Teh Maimunah Raja Abdul Aziz – MD & CEO, Hong Leong Islamic Bank Berhad
• Sulin Lau – Head of Marketing Services, Maxis
• Cyril Dhenaut – Head of Marketing, KFit
• Timothy Johnson – Senior VP of Marketing, INTI International University & Colleges
• Eric Wong – Marketing Director, IBM Malaysia
• Srikanth Ramachandran – Executive Director, Moving Walls
• Spencer Lee – Head of Commercial, AirAsia Berhad
• Bala Pomaleh – CEO, IPG Mediabrands
• Rachel Lim – Co-Founder of Love, Bonito
• Edward Ling – Sales Manager, Waze Malaysia

Date: September 6th, 2016 (Tuesday)

Venue: Sime Darby Convention Centre, Jalan Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

For details, contact Ruby on 03-77262588, [email protected]

Download event PDF here

More details www.marketingmagazine.com.my/cmo2016