The mobile landscape is continuously evolving, and only marketers that keep up with changes and incorporate them in their promotional and engagement strategies stand a chance of success in today’s highly competitive world.
The latest technology to have made it big is Near Field Communications (NFC).
What is Near Field Communications?
Near Field Communications is a technology embedded in the latest mobile devices that allows secure communication (with confirmation) between the mobile device and a transmission device. NFC allows the visitors to delve deeper, to view customized rich media, receive targeted special offers, share experiences and most importantly, make a purchase, all through their smartphones.
NFC is a vast improvement over QR codes. QR codes required downloading an app and uploading a bar code to access content that goes beyond the web page. NFC allows mobile users to access rich content and interact with the brand seamlessly. All the user has to do is tap the smartphone on any RFID-embedded poster, magazine ad, retail point of sale or any other promotional item, to gain instant access to a world of rich media and content.
For the marketer, this means not just connecting and engaging with visitors better, but an opportunity to also capturing visitor behavior and preferences real-time in the real-world. The fact that this technology also integrates promotion with the point of sale, thus allowing interested visitors to make a purchase instantly may just make this the holy grail of marketers in the coming days.
NFC technologies can be utilized for identification, ticketing, time and attendance, loyalty and membership programs, secure access (physical or via a device) or transit usage – in addition to payment processing. Just as we monitor paths and activities online, the venue will be able to monitor paths and activities offline – perhaps scoring and rewarding the behavior of their NFC users. Thinaire has provided this video that speaks to some of the additional ways that companies can leverage the technology:
Google has already launched Google Android with NFC capabilities, and every other major mobile player has either followed suit or has announced NFC roll-outs in the near future.
If you have a Google Android that's NFC capable, visit the Google Android store. If you're a developer, Google has released this detailed video on NFC development.
Download Near Field Communications for Dummies for a thorough look at NFC. Find out:
- What consumers are looking for today, especially those hard-to-understand millennials
- How to craft compelling mobile experiences and marketing campaigns to drive revenue and brand loyalty
- Which use cases benefit the most from digital product identities and smart packaging
- How the right implementation can improve brand loyalty and drive mobile commerce
- How to use the customization potential of the cloud to enable contextual marketing that reaches new customers and keeps current customers happy
- How to get started in your own omnichannel campaigns using NFC as a centerpiece technology
