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Stonyfield Farm cultivates Pokemon Go mobile moments via in-app ads

Stonyfield Farm is cultivating mobile moments designed to engage Pokemon Go players by targeting them on other applications when they are at a location where characters can be collected. 

With Pokemon Go not offering advertising opportunities, Stonyfield Farm wanted a way to target players of the phenomenally successful game on their mobile devices. Working with Aki Technologies, Stonyfield Farms is able to identify Pokemon Players when they are at or near a PokeStop ? a location where characters can be found ? and target them with ads in music, messaging or music apps. 

?At the core of Stonyfield's marketing strategy are two elements, building relationships and being relevant for consumers by meeting them in the right places at the right times,? said Liza Dube, director of marketing at Stonyfield Farm. ?Working with Aki to serve up playful ads to Pokemon Go players allows us to do both of those things. 

?As a family-centered company we're able to be part of the family experience,? she said. ?And just like Pokemon Go, Stonyfield is all about showing that doing something that's simply good can also be enjoyable.?

Mobile moments marketing
The campaign launched yesterday and will run for four weeks. It features in-app display ads with ad copy that reads: ?Time to catch a Stonyfield.? The copy is a reference to the Pokemon Go game, which asks players to catch Pokemon characters. Each ad links to a store locator feature so consumers can find a store that sells the brand?s yogurt. 

The campaign is based on the insight that Pokemon Go players at a PokeStop are likely to engage with other popular applications to check the weather, message a friend or change the music selection they are listening to. Users will be served a Stonyfield Farm ad within five minutes of visiting a PokeStop. 


Aki Technologies? platform has cataloged location data from 10,000 PokeStops across the United States. The company also has data about which ad-supported apps consumers open frequently and spend time with. 

With Pokemon Go quickly reaching 75 million downloads, marketers are anxious to find ways to engage with players. 

Moving quickly
Hoping to quickly deploy a campaign while Pokemon Go fever is still high, Stonyfield Farm reached out to Aki Technologies last Tuesday and had creative and a plan by Thursday. 

Aki?s platform enables brands to target mobile consumers based on the apps they have installed on their devices. This is combined with a variety insights, such as demographics, location, time of day, context and weather to interpret the consumer mindset and deliver ads when they are likely to be receptive. 

With mobile use growing and consumers spending a significant amount of time in several popular apps, marketers are seeking ways to reach these users. 


Mobile marketing researchers, analysts and vendors have urging brands to think in terms of finding mobile moments when they can deliver useful information to the right person and the right time and place. 

The approach requires a deep understanding of customers and access to mobile location and application data as well as the ability to find those moments that matter.

Building a connection
The Stonyfield Farm campaign, which builds from the idea that Pokemon Go players are busily trying to catch characters but may be hungry and want a quick, nutritious snack, is a good example of how this can be done. 

"Stonyfield recognized that the Pokemon Go experience aligned well with their brand, but needed an approach that would allow them to build on that connection without disrupting the experience,? said Scott Swanson, CEO at Aki Technologies. 

?This is a challenge that really all mobile advertisers face ? that is, how to engage mobile consumers during the moments they're most receptive to advertising ? and exactly what we set out to address in creating Aki's mobile moment platform,? he said.