Tag: nfc marketing

Proxoma and Smartrac aim to take NFC marketing to the next level

Proxama, a provider of NFC and mobile marketing technology solutions, has announced its partnership with Smartrac, a developer and manufacturer of RFID transponders and inlays. Through this partnership, the two companies aim to showcase the potential of NFC technology in the marketing sector. The technology has long held promise for advertising, but has seen limited use over the years. NFC is most often used in mobile commerce as a way to facilitate mobile payments from smart phones and tablets.

New NFC marketing services coming to brands in 2013

Through this partnership, Proxama aims to work with several popular brands and advertising agencies beginning in 2013. Proxama believes that these brands and agencies could benefit from the use of NFC technology, as it will provide them with a way to engage consumers in an interactive fashion. Smartrac has been experiencing increasing demand for NFC technology solutions from its customers and is eager to begin developing such solutions.

Proxama leverages experience to provide new services

Proxama already has a wealth of experience in using NFC as a mobile marketing tool. The company is expected to leverage this experience to provide brands with powerful solutions that could produce promising engagement opportunities with consumers. Through its partnership with Smartrac, Proxoma aims to provide retailers, advertisers, and media owners with the tools they need to develop dynamic NFC-based marketing campaigns. While such campaigns have been used by major brands in the past, such as 20th Century Fox, NFC-based marketing can often be a hit-or-miss issue.

Lack of NFC-enabled devices may be problematic for some

In order for consumers to interact with NFC marketing campaigns, they must have an NFC-enabled mobile device. These devices are equipped with NFC chips that can decipher the information contained within NFC-based marketing materials. Currently, these phones are somewhat rare, but device manufacturers are working to remedy this issue. With the scarcity of NFC-enabled mobile devices, it is difficult to say for certain whether NFC marketing will be able to provide brands with the reach they need to connect with mobile consumers.

NFC technology can be used for more than mobile payments

NFC technology gets a great deal of attention for its uses in mobile commerce. The technology has been a cornerstone of mobile payments for some time, but can facilitate other services beyond this realm as well. As NFC technology becomes more popular, and more prone to criticism, those interested in NFC are looking for new ways to make use of it. Steve Gurley, president of Pyrim Technologies, is keen to encourage the use of NFC technology outside of mobile commerce, or at least raise awareness of its other capabilities.

Peer-to-peer communication facilitated through NFC

According to Gurley, NFC technology has three uses beyond mobile payments. The first is peer-to-peer communication. This capability is beginning to attract more attention, especially as technology giant Samsung begins marketing this aspect of their new NFC-enabled products. NFC technology allows for devices, such as smart phones, to share information without being connected by wires. Two such devices can share information to one another digitally, allowing smart phone users to share songs or contact details with each other.

Security could be controlled through NFC chips

Another use of NFC technology is secure card emulation. Hotels often rely on keycards to control access to rooms and some services, a practice that is growing increasingly common on university campuses around the world. NFC technology can make this practice more efficient, according to Gurley. By embedding an NFC chip into a card, access can be granted in a quick, efficient, and more secure manner, removing the need for traditional methods of security. NFC technology can also act in a wide range of read/write practices and facilitate the exchange of information easily.

NFC technology expected to continue playing a large role in mobile commerce

NFC technology is likely to continue playing a major role in mobile commerce, but will not be restricted to this industry for long. Already, the technology has become an emergent part of numerous industries, especially in those that put a high value on interaction with consumers. Marketing is currently the most popular platform for NFC technology, outside of mobile commerce.