NFC makes tap technology a highly profitable reality

Consumers are used to tapping. We tap our cards or phones to pay for products. We tap touchscreens to load GPS coordinates or choose playlists. Apps are tapped. Screens are tapped. We tap games, buttons, keys and screens so it’s a very familiar and natural extension to tap a phone against an NFC label. Consumers are starting to realise there are lots of ways to use their phones to make their lives easier, get additional information or even get discounts and other goodies. 

Not only does the smart use of NFC labels offer companies a direct line of communication with their customers, but it also opens up a world of data that wasn’t previously available. 

Supply chains can be optimised by the discovery of untapped markets. Data garnered by NFC marketing can help businesses uncover the ship to shelf time frames of their products to help optimise advertising campaigns when products are on the shelf, not sitting in the warehouse for example. 

1. Samsung’s Smart Posters highlight the tech in their phones

One of the great uses of NFC enabled posters in 2019 was Samsungs ‘Share to Go’ posters. Samsung was looking for a smart and memorable way to promote the NFC features of its Galaxy smartphones. Bringing posters to life, Samsung embedded them with NFC technology and then invited users to tap on the poster to receive free music or e-books. 

The great thing about this campaign is that these posters weren’t just posters. They created a distribution network of information and offers for customers around the country through their smart posters and NFC enabled vending machines. This created a great buzz for the company and customer engagement went through the roof for the entirety of this campaign. 

2. Nike’s NFC connected clothing creates stronger customer engagement

Nike has ramped up its fan engagement strategies by using NFC integrated directly into some of their ranges of basketball jerseys. By tapping their phone on the NFC enabled jersey, fans can access special offers, giveaways and other engaging content directly from their smartphones. 

This technology has been a huge success for Nike and is another way of not only gathering customer data but extending the customer experience and sales lifecycle by engaging with customers well after they have purchased their item and walked out the store. 

3. Ordering another bottle of Campari is easy with these NFC fridge magnets

Campari in conjunction with Drizly is making it easier for customers to re-order their alcoholic products with these NFC enabled fridge magnets. It really is a no brainer as customers simply need to tap on the magnet and they will be sent to an online store where they can easily re-order their favourite aperitif with the tap of a few buttons. 

4. KFC makes it easy for users in the UK to find their closest store

With the promotion of their ‘Hot Shots Meal Box’ in the UK, KFC wanted to make it easier for potential customers to locate their nearest store. Integrating NFC into a range of smart posters enabled customers to simply tap their phones against the poster and they would be routed to their closest store. This makes finding their stores quick and simple – particularly for those who are busy and need a quick feed. 

5. Adidas are saving the oceans whilst selling shoes

If you’ve not heard of Adidas Parley, it’s the company's approach to helping battle the growing problem of plastic in our oceans. A range of shoes and clothing made from recycled plastic collected from beaches around the world. An NFC chip in their shoes enables customers to find out more about the program and how they can avoid using plastics in their lives.

As you can see there is a wide range of applications for NFC. Not only can they help you shape your proximity marketing strategies, but they can also increase customer engagement, your conversion rate and take customers on a journey long after they’ve left your store or purchased your product.