Out-of-home media owner JCDecaux and agency Kinetic are hailing the results of a recent British trial as evidence that consumers will happily take up the opportunity of interacting with advertising via near field communication (NFC).

More than 300 six-sheet posters, both digital and non-digital, in the town of Reading near London were equipped with NFC to enhance advertising from 13 brands including H&M, ITV, Mercedes, Morrisons and Unilever.

Over the four-week trial, about 3000 consumers used their mobile phones to scan the posters at bus stops and in a shopping centre to obtain benefits such as video content or vouchers.

“The study showed that consumers saw the experience as a gateway for more information about brands, attracted by the prospect of vouchers, videos and competitions and through the links to social media,” said David McEvoy, JCDecaux’s marketing director.

Eighty-seven percent of consumers with NFC-equipped phones said they would use the technology again, while almost the same proportion – 80 percent – of those who don’t currently have the capability would like to try it.

What works

Relevance, dynamic content and a strong call to action proved to be the keys to encouraging consumer interaction, the research suggested. For example, the overall conversion rate of 28 percent for video content increased to 49 percent when that content was new, while voucher redemptions were highest when the poster site was near the store involved.

The busiest period of the day for interaction was between 4pm and 7pm, which may imply that consumers are more willing to take the time to scan a poster once the working day is over and they are less rushed.

“The Reading trial gave us the perfect opportunity to experience this way of opening conversations with our consumers through our brands Vaseline, Toni & Guy and Magnum,” said Richard Brooke, communications buying manager at Unilever. “We’re pleased that the results proved to be so positive. The trial showed that we can successfully combine the out-of-home channel with mobile technology to create a rich and deeper engagement with our consumers.”

Added Nick Mawditt, global director of marketing and insight for Kinetic: “The Reading trial shows that technology is driving the potential for interactive engagement through NFC. The experience of interactivity elicits overwhelming positivity around the brand, able to drive both the conversion and the retention of customers.”

www.jcdecaux.co.uk
www.kineticww.com

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