Pokemon GO: Sprint Launches a Trainer Rewards Program
By Rob Gordon 26 February 2017
Back in December, U.S. cellular provider Sprint confirmed its partnership with developer Niantic for use with mobile sensation Pokemon GO, but the company is now upping the ante in terms of its connections to the game. Sprint has announced a trainer rewards program for those who check in at Sprint locations. This means that players can get rewards when checking in to those Sprint locations that act as PokeStops.
The company revealed the program over at MyTrainerRewards.com, and although the full ins and outs of the program are not yet clear for Pokemon GO users, there are details that are bound to intrigue those who use a Sprint-affiliated location as a PokeStop. The program, which is officially called the Sprint and Boost Mobile Trainer Rewards program, will offer up prizes to those players who regularly utilize Sprint locations, or who look into Sprint products.
For starters, players can earn free Trainer Reward points through completing Trainer activities with Sprint. At the moment, the prizes on offer are unique Pokemon GO tips courtesy of Professor Willow, but it seems as though the plan is to eventually offer up the likes of exclusive wallpapers and gift cards through trainer reward points.
The activities that earn points are varied, too, ranging from simply looking for the nearest Sprint PokeStop or Gym through to catching a Pokemon at a Sprint location, with both activities earning 25 points. There are also several videos based on Pokemon GO that will earn viewers points by watching to the end. However, many more of the Sprint activities seem tied to Sprint products or promotion, such as visiting Sprint social media channels, checking out Sprint deals, or sending invites to friends to sign up to the program.
It’s an intriguing move that may pay dividends for Sprint, particularly given that Pokemon GO has once again climbed to the top of the Apple App Store after its recent Gen 2 update. However, just how many users choose to sign up to the program remains to be seen, and its success will likely lie with how enticing the rewards will be versus how intrusive the non-Pokemon GO activities are to players. Should Sprint get the balance right, then it could be rewarding for both the company and for virtual Pokemon trainers.
Of course, Sprint is far from the only company that has become a partner of Pokemon GO. Alongside the provider, Starbucks also has a partnership with Niantic, while McDonald’s teamed up with Pokemon GO in Japan. Whether further trainer rewards schemes open up in future, then, will be an interesting one to watch.
