Connecting the Market NFC Spurs Changes and Variations in Printed Media
By John Bodnar, Technology and Research Assistant, Printing Industries of America
As 2017 unfolds, near- field communication (NFC) is experiencing a great surge in awareness and popularity. Apple using NFC for its Apple- Pay phone and watch- based payments helped give consumers a simple introduction to this technology. Nintendo’s
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WiiU console made it possible for collectible figu- rines with NFC tags in the base to be used with the controller to affect gameplay and also built a collect- ing culture in the process. These two large brands threw their hats into the NFC ring and created new experiences and an increased level of interactivity with point-of-sale and entertainment. These are just two functions (payment and media manipulation) out of a variety options. What else can NFC do and to what limitations? More importantly, can it be implemented into a business plan and print market- ing strategies?
One of the most common applications for NFC is a smart poster, which is a printed poster that has a defined location for a consumer to tap a phone to for an enhanced experience. This experience can be a video, music file, or website. The experience could also be an interaction with an app such as entering into a contest, access to exclusive video, or a free download. Smaller formats are possible. In Asian and a few European markets, downloads of full music albums are made possible via NFC- enabled cards that supply access to the desired material. This can even work to promote a music single or include a music video. Of course, the
“NFC offers another means for connecting with customers at a new level, discovering new metrics on interactivity, and building stronger brand loyalty.”
card would only be limited to what the desired function is.
In pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages, there are options for product assurance with packaging. NFC was tested with Johnny Walker Blue Label as a means to notify customers if the packaging has been compromised by having an NFC antennae that breaks when the seal of the bottle is broken. By tapping your phone to the designated point, you will be notified that the bottle has been opened due to the antennae breaking in the process. With higher priced wines, NFC is used to certify that your prod- uct is genuine and not counterfeit. Both of these functions can be utilized in the packaging process and in promoting brand confidence in customers. The ability of NFC to help authenticate pharma- ceuticals is obviously important, as well.
As the level of connectivity to devices and new forms of product interaction continue to grow, there will be additional functions and advancements in those functions. Greater use of NFC can lead to lower costs for tags and programming hardware as well as advances in software solutions. Most important, this is another means for connecting with customers at a new level, discovering new metrics on interactivity, and building stronger brand loyalty.
TECHNOLOGY
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