NFC or Near Field Communication technology is increasingly becoming a popular contactless payment technology but NFC proximity marketing hasn’t still become mainstream. However, COVID-19 is slowly making it one of the best marketing methods out there.
Initially, NFC gained prominence in the public sphere as the primary technology utilized in 2014 by Apple Pay. Visa payWave, Mastercard PayPass, and other companies followed suit. The technology allowed customers to pay for goods and services without having to hand over credit or debit cards to anyone to eliminate fraud and identity theft that ran rampant during those times.
However, it never became the mainstream mode of payment as other technologies such as card-based EMV and app-based online fund transfers like Venmo and PayPal proved to be practical payment options. To this day, these three technologies are still competing to become the dominant payment standard with EMV slightly gaining the upper hand.
When COVID-19 hit the globe in 2020, however, the trend seems to swing in the direction of contactless payments. EMV, therefore, is slowly being edged out by online and NFC payment methods.
Where NFC stands out is that it’s not a one-trick-pony that only functions to transfer funds. It’s also configurable to transfer different types of information as well. Marketing is just one of them.
Why NFC Marketing is on the Rise
While you probably haven’t seen a lot of examples of it yet, the stars have aligned for NFC marketing to take centre stage in 2021’s marketing scene. It’s ubiquitous, easy, and most importantly, highly engaging.
There’s a definite call to action for people to switch to contactless payment to avoid the spread of communicable diseases such as the coronavirus. NFC doesn’t simply allow contactless payments; it also ensures that personal data is protected from data breaches that are often the case with online payments. The fact that the technology is already widely available in most modern high-end smartphones makes it even more enticing to use NFC to market goods and services.
NFC is also quite easy to use. It doesn’t even require power to run it unlike other connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth and infrared. A simple tap is all it needs and data can already be transferred.
It’s also very in tune with the principles of experiential marketing as you tap your smart devices on an NFC tag. It’s marketing that involves and includes customers in the process. And not to mention that the possibilities for consumer engagement via NFC is virtually endless. From promotional videos to rewards, there’s very little you can’t do with NFC tags.
Fascinating NFC Marketing Campaigns That Captured Their Audiences
Although it hasn’t been exactly a game-changer, there have been examples of effective NFC marketing in the past. When coupled with a top-notch copy, it can result in an immersive UX.
Print Campaigns
While it has been slowly decreasing, print media still exists. This much is true for magazines with a loyal fanbase.
Ironically, Wired Magazine is one of those companies that are sticking with their prints despite the influx of the more cost-effective online-only magazines. Lexus, in 2012 made full use of Wired Magazine’s print by incorporating a clever NFC marketing ad.
The ad placed an NFC chip in the middle of a page that showed the interiors of their new luxury car and invites audiences to put their NFC-equipped smartphones on the dashboard. This directed their users to a webpage that contained the car’s promotional videos and a brilliant call to action to book a test drive.
But NFC marketing in print media isn’t only reserved for magazines. Posters also make for excellent NFC marketing campaigns. KFC’s ingenious use of NFC in one of their poster ads for new Hot Shots directed their customers to the nearest KFC where they can get the meal. It saved customers some time in turning on their phones and searching on their preferred map apps.
Connected Products
Perhaps the most common type of NFC marketing is via connected goods. This involves putting NFC tags on the product or packaging. Once customers tap the NFC tag, they’re redirected to a marketing page for their product.
It’s straightforward. But, with the right kind of copy, it can spell a very successful marketing campaign. Nike, for example, used NFC to make ‘connected jerseys’. A simple tap from an NFC-enabled smartphone brought users to a webpage that showed the specific player’s information, special offers, and other consumer engagement content.
Other iterations of this type of NFC marketing simply incorporates the NFC tags on product labels. One excellent example of this was implemented by Campari, an alcoholic beverage company that used an NFC-equipped ref magnet that helps you order more of their liquors a lot easier. The ref magnet allowed users to simply tap their ref magnet and immediately get redirected to a webpage where they can order some more of their bourbons and vodkas.
Wearables
At first, L’Oreal’s UV Sensor might seem as simple as Nike’s ‘connected jerseys’. However, upon using it, you’ll quickly understand that the tech goes much deeper than a simple UX enhancing product.
L’Oreal’s UV Sensor is technically not a marketing tool but a wearable gadget in itself. However, it’s consumer engagement philosophies make it a fascinating gadget that drives strong conversions.
It’s a wearable product that you can clip on your fingernail, clothes, or any other part of your body that’s often exposed to sunlight. You can connect it to your NFC-enabled smartphone where you can see the information being gathered by its UV sensors.
From the device’s companion app, you can see how much time you’ve spent under the sun. The app tells you whether you’ve been overexposed or underexposed depending on the collected data. From there, L’Oreal sends you some recommendations on which of their products can help you depending on your average daily exposure to the sun’s harmful rays.
Click the link below to learn more about how TrackMatriX can be used for your NFC proximity marketing campaign:
https://www.trackmatrix.com/nfc-tag-management/
Contact us if you want to learn more about NFC tags and NFC tag management software.
