NFC (Near-Field Communication) and RFID are forms of wireless data transfer that allow savvy marketers all kinds of ways to communicate with their audiences. RFID allows for items to be uniquely identified. NFC is a specialized subset of RFID that allows for two way communication. RFID and NFC have been around for a while, but their marketing potential is really starting to become apparent as almost all mobile phones in use today are NFC enabled.
The earliest from of RFID tracking is used in running. Most bibs have an RFID tag that allows race organizers to track their progress through the course and post instant and accurate race times. You can watch a pretty cool example of how Asics took that a step further 10 years ago for the New York CIty marathon with the “Support Your Marathoner” Campaign. Flash forward to today and smart advertisements can sense an RFID tag in a Tshirt and display personalized or segmented content.
NFC enabled promotional items allow you to take the viewer from the real world, like the cover of a journal, to the digital world by prompting an action on a mobile phone such as visiting a site or viewing a youtube video. A company at a tradeshow may want to encourage app downloads or a quick service restaurant may want to inform a user of the nearest locations in a new city. In a number of ways, connecting the physical promotional product to the vast digital world is a marketers dream.
Check out our collection of digitally enabled promotional items.