Here at ker-Z creative studio's we were early adopters of the contactless business card. Back in 2019 compatibility was limited to Android devices with active NFC technology. Since then much has changed, read our blog below to find out more.
What is NFC?
NFC (Near Field Communication) is a contactless, wireless solution that connects the physical & digital worlds by enabling direct brand to consumer mobile engagement. This contactless connection is established by using electronic NFC Chips. This enables your mobile phone to communicate with another NFC compatible device within a radius of about 3-4 centimetres by providing a wireless connection. This contactless communication allows both devices to be able to send and receive information over an NFC connection which does not rely on Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G or 5G and also costs nothing to use. This is achieved using an NFC tag within the contactless product (not just cards).
What is an NFC Tag?
An NFC Tag consists of a chip & antenna. The NFC chip is a microchip containing just a small amount of memory and technology allowing it to communicate with other devices wirelessly via the antenna. All products will vary, but essentially they all have the same component set up.
Does my clients device have NFC technology?
The biggest issue in the past was that iPhone users were almost completely frozen out of the NFC environment due to Apple's slow adoption to support the technology natively. It couldn’t be used without the need for a third party app. So in spite of the iPhone 6 being equipped with an NFC chip since the 2014 release it could only be used for chip and pin payments.
This all changed with the 2018 release of the iPhone XS and XS Max, the first Apple phones to natively support NFC. With the average iPhone user on a three year purchase cycle almost all of your customers will now have this technology in their pocket!
By the end of 2019 there were 2 billion NFC enabled devices and 90% of the best sellers had native NFC capability.
What are QR codes?
QR stands for quick response, these scannable barcodes are a contactless, wireless solution that connects the physical & digital worlds by enabling direct brand to consumer mobile engagement. Prior to 2020 the blocky barcodes were not widely adopted and limited to museums, supermarkets and food packaging in the UK. They became a part of daily life with the launch of 'Track & Trace' with every pub, cafe, restaurant and shop requiring their customers to scan the codes when crossing the threshold. As a result the public are now fully aware of the existence of this technology and how to use it. In a recent study 75% of consumers said they intended to use this solution going forward.
Does my clients device have QR scanning capability?
Conversely to NFC, Apple was quicker to adopt QR technology when they began supporting it in 2017. Every phone running iOS 11 or later can scan a QR code from the camera app. 12 months later Android devices began to support the technology with the release of Android 9, this meant that most but not all users with this update could read a QR code. The statistics on QR enabled devices are sketchy but it’s safe to assume the pandemic brought wider adoption. Pro Tip: If a device doesn’t have a camera app that scans a QR code it may still be possible to read codes using Google Chrome as the browser comes with Google's lens technology.
Why use NFC or QR code?
NFC offers a frictionless solution to sharing your details in a magazine, a shop, meeting, conference or exhibition. This can be used to bridge the gap between print and digital, driving your customers to your website or social media where you can capture their data and follow-up on any interest. The ability to add the industry standard vCard or url link direct to your customers phone has many advantages:
✅ Move from the physical to digital world in one click
✅ Frictionless information transfer
✅ No more lost contact details
✅ Covid secure
For more information or to discuss how we can support your marketing with this technology book a no-obligation 30 minute chat. https://on.sprintful.com/kerzcreative