Is NFC the next big thing

NFC stands for “Near Field Communication”,  it is a set of standards for (NFC enabled) smart-phones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity.   It is known in the mobile market, predominantly for mobile payments. 

NFC technology is not new and the first NFC enabled phone was released back in 2006, since 2011 we are seeing more and more reports on the opportunities available of using NFC in marketing campaigns.  

The above image is from a 2011 campaign run via Nokia with Proxama (NFC and Mobile Commerce Specialist) in Vox Cinemas.  Details of the campaigns were widely reported; The Drum online magazine covered the campaign here.  We feel that this ‘mobile content delivery’ is less clunky than the traditional QR Codes for engaging with offline information. How Stuff Works: What is an NFC Tag?

Mid January our favourite Internet Marketing Blog Econsultancy, reported five trends from CES that marketers need to know.  Guess what? NFC made the list. 

This month’s geek video comes via the Hybris Software channel, titled: Shopping Gets Sexy with Hybris” the video includes technology such as in-store NFC tags, gesture-based product navigation and geo-fenced alerts.  The video highlights that "window-shopping" need not be a low margin activity and shows how window shoppers can socially engage with a product, even when the shop is closed. We love this approach. We are watching trends in NFC Smartphone adoption with interest and noting those using the technology within their digital marketing strategies.  

Mobile/Social Marketing is becoming a lot less about broadcasting information in a more succinct way, it is moving more towards engaging customers in digital experiences with your information. 

NFC allows the tech savvy consumers to engage, interact and communicate with brands. We will keep you up to date with others using NFC on this blog.  Should you wish to help your company stay ahead of the digital, mobile and social news, talk to our sales team today about our Integrated Marketing Services. 

Author: Sarah Griffiths