Having described the technology that underpins NFC, and the infrastructure and business relationships that are needed to make it work, we can now turn to the applications where NFC is being used or could deliver its greatest benefits. For each of these we will consider, from the point of view of the business owner or service provider, the benefits they are seeking and the aspects of NFC that are particularly important to them. The objective of these chapters is to give NFC technologists an insight into the requirements of their potential customers, and for those involved in these businesses to understand what NFC can do for them, and what issues or problems they may face.

The first of these applications is in marketing, advertising and media. There is considerable overlap between this application and those described in the following six chapters, particularly retail and payment. However, stand-alone marketing and advertising applications offer significant benefits in their own right, improving the returns from some traditional forms of advertising and enabling new ways of reaching customers.

NFC benefits

Making advertising relevant

The challenge for all advertisers is to make their advertising relevant to their audience: catching the attention of people who may be interested in the product, at a time when they will be receptive to the message. However, this must be done in a way that is not too obtrusive, both for those for whom the message is intended and for others who see the advertisement.