{"id":349776,"date":"2016-08-03T11:05:07","date_gmt":"2016-08-03T15:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nexusdirect.com\/?p=349776"},"modified":"2016-08-03T11:05:07","modified_gmt":"2016-08-03T15:05:07","slug":"taking-your-fundraising-game-to-the-next-level-what-nonprofits-need-to-know-about-pokemon-go-and-augmented-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nexusdirect.com\/sanpablo\/taking-your-fundraising-game-to-the-next-level-what-nonprofits-need-to-know-about-pokemon-go-and-augmented-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Your Fundraising Game to the Next Level: What nonprofits need to know about Pok\u00e9mon Go and augmented reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you suddenly started to see groups of people congregating in public spaces, their eyes glued to their phones? Perhaps you\u2019ve even almost been run over by one of these crowds, their phones held aloft and mumbling something about Snorlax. Or maybe you\u2019ve wondered why your kids are suddenly anxious to go outside all day, even in the extreme heat. Well, whether you know it or not, you\u2019ve been exposed to the new video game craze, Pok\u00e9mon Go.<\/p>\n

Maybe your kids or grandkids are into it. Maybe your grandmother is into it. Heck, maybe even you\u2019re into it!<\/p>\n

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If so, you\u2019re just one of over\u00a065 million users<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 that\u2019s more than Tinder and Twitter! In just a few short weeks, Pok\u00e9mon Go was making\u00a0$1.6 million a day<\/a>\u00a0on in-app purchases, and young and old alike are spending\u00a0more time<\/a>playing it daily than they spend on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. And unlike other video games, which thrive in dark basements filled with Mountain Dew and Pringles, Pok\u00e9mon users are forced to go outside, get exercise, and (gasp!) be social. If you\u2019ve been blissfully living under a rock and have no idea how Pok\u00e9mon Go works, I encourage you to do a little research into the fascinating world (or just ask one of the people wandering around looking at their phone to show you how it works!). Basically, it involves players (Pok\u00e9mon trainers) catching and training Pok\u00e9mon (pocket + monsters), which appear in their real world surroundings when viewed through the screen of their phone. It\u2019s a type of technology called\u00a0augmented reality<\/strong>, cousin to virtual reality.<\/p>\n

Augmented Reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

In virtual reality, you are privy to a whole new world, one you cannot see without your virtual reality glasses or headset. Augmented reality, on the other hand, combines your real world with the virtual world by \u201coverlay[ing] digital imagery<\/a>\u00a0on a person\u2019s view of the real world, using a smart phone screen or a headset.\u201d So as players walk through the real world and view it through their phone, they see various Pok\u00e9mon pop up that they can catch, train, and eventually battle with other trainers.<\/p>\n

Back in 2012,\u00a0augmented reality<\/strong>\u00a0was a hot-button item in the fundraising world. Many touted it as the next big digital trend in fundraising. Even the Obama campaign got in on the action during his reelection: When users viewed a $5 bill through a phone app, an augmented reality experience appeared that allowed viewers to donate, volunteer, watch videos, or even \u201chigh five Obama<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

But augmented reality never really became the \u201cnext big thing,\u201d and one of the most highly anticipated augmented reality experiences, Google Glass, was a flop. Meanwhile, the idea of virtual reality took its place. In fact, if you Google \u201caugmented reality\u201d and take away any reference from the last month or so to Pok\u00e9mon Go, you\u2019ll be left looking at pages of articles that were written in 2012. If you search virtual reality, however, you will see current articles about the\u00a0future of virtual reality<\/a>\u00a0in advertising, fundraising, political campaigning, gaming, etc.<\/p>\n

But with the advent of Pok\u00e9mon Go, augmented reality has been brought back into the spotlight in a matter of days. And everyone from\u00a0businesses<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0international politicians<\/a>\u00a0has been getting in on the action. Both young and old can\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n

So how has Pok\u00e9mon Go used augmented reality in a way that has been so much more successful than other attempts to utilize the same technology? And how can nonprofits utilize these same ideas to make augmented reality work for them in the near future?<\/p>\n