Near Field Communication (NFC) has been around for quite some time; however, proximity communication technology has many areas to be explored. There are new innovative applications of NFC being discovered every day. KFC, a large food & beverages company, has leveraged NFC technology in a new way to improve their brand identity, marketing, revenue generation, and the end consumer experience. KFC implemented NFC as it became a trendsetter in various vertices. KFC leveraged NFC based advertising and marketing campaigns where they deployed posters and billboards with embedded NFC tags. These posters enabled the passing by travellers to interact with the smart poster using their NFC enabled smartphones to get product information and rewards.
KFC’s Interactive Experience With NFC Campaigns
NFC is one of the most viable ways to exchange information in near proximity, and it could create significant value to consumers in areas surrounding tourism and exploration. KFC understood this well and deployed visually attractive advertising posters that could also exchange information about nearby KFC outlets to their NFC-enabled smartphone. Being a pioneer in the food industry, KFC has earned customer loyalty across the globe. As such, any loyal customer would want to visit a KFC outlet rather than trying any other food options.
“Hot Shots Meal Box”: Better User Accessibility With NFC
With NFC-enabled posters, users could directly receive information about nearby KFC outlets just by tapping on the ad campaign. The tap on a poster would lead them to the official landing page of KFC on their smartphone. Users can find nearby outlets, discount offers, coupon codes, and can even be part of lucky reward campaigns. KFC implemented this campaign for their exclusive meal box “HoT shots Meal Box” where they can get direct feedback from the customer through an advertisement at a high visibility outdoor location.
In addition to NFC posters, KFC also leveraged NFC for wireless transactions in the U.S. market by partnering with Google and Samsung. It allowed KFC to compete against other food chains while making the transactions easier for the users as they pay with a single touch. These advancements created similar benefits to NFC as any other connected marketing campaigns resulting in higher sales, better customer experience, and insights into their product engagements.
The Future Of Advertising & Marketing With NFC
KFC’s implementation of NFC based poster ads was an industry-leading example demonstrating how NFC could transmit information while creating genuine value for the customers with these ads. These campaigns, since they were not limited to any particular industry. The basic concept of billboards and posters that would just exchange information visually is outdated. It’s about time that these advertisements also create value for the consumers and not only for the brands. In conclusion, NFC and other similar technological advancements pushed every industry to create more value for their customers with a view to getting higher sales returns. Billboards through which commuters would just pass by aren’t as effective anymore in the current era of connectivity.
