Will Direct Mail Embrace NFC Technology?

NFC, or near field communication, has the potential to re-energize direct mail, predicts Jacob Beckley in a recent MediaPost blog. NFC technology is similar to a printed QR code. Both use a mobile device to bridge the gap between a physical marketing piece and online messaging. QR use has already proliferated, but the latest NFC technology actually has some advantages that could make it even more popular, argues Beckley. NFC coding is easy to use and requires fewer steps to reach online content than a QR; all the user has to do is bring the mobile device close to the NFC coding to go directly to the online content. While NFC technology originally required an embedded chip or tag, now NFC-enabled papers and plastics are available. Plus proximity marketing apps could let merchants use an NFC to reach consumers within range of a product in real-time. NFC adaptation has been slowed by Apple, which preferred QR coding for its iPhone, but Google Wallet now uses NFC to transmit payment details for wireless transactions, and other mobile phone makers, like Samsung, have incorporated NFC in their devices. Those advances should appeal to direct mail marketers interested in leading the pack in the race for multi-channel customers. They can dump shortened URLs and multi-step QR delivery for NFC's instant mail-to-online linking. Any direct mail strategists intrigued by the idea of NFC can read http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/194421/nfc-poised-to-accelerate-direct-marketing.html#axzz2RxwwcX7h