Companies are always seeking new and innovative ideas to get their products into the hands of consumers. With the internet, companies are able to reach millions of potential customers from around the world. While this has increased product sales exponentially, companies are still looking for new ways to offer their customers a chance to get their hands on a company’s products as well as offering them new and innovative ways to pay for this merchandise. This is where Gemalto, a digital security company, and Tapit, a contactless communications provider, come into play.
The two have announced during Mobile World Congress this week in beautiful Barcelona, Spain that they will partner up to provide a new service to consumers starting in the UK. There was no mention as to if this technology will land in other places. This new service is called “Tapit and Buy” and aims to allow consumers to simply “tap” a package or poster or in-store advertisements that have a NFC (near field communication) tag, a QR (quick response) code, or beacon which will take the consumer to the companies e-commerce website. There the consumer can make a purchase of various items or content and have it charge to their carrier’s cell phone bill. The service is mostly focused with digital content in the £30 price range. However, it is easy to see how this could apply to other types of items as well, so there is a chance for further growth with this service. This is all achieved by using Gemalto’s Netsize billing system with Tapit’s Clout Platform. Combined the two will enable companies to bring this new means of purchasing to consumers.
The benefit to the consumer is that they are able to tap their enabled phone to an advertisement they may see walking down the street and get instant ability to buy the product. Companies benefit by being able to get direct feedback from their advertising, allowing them to make marketing more cost effective and using those savings to fund further innovation or to lower their price to attract more consumers. It will also allow them to still cater to those who prefer a more traditional experience by still allowing a company to print its normal packaging and advertisement or in-store displays as they normally would, but with the added benefit of newer technology baked in for those looking for the newer experience.
As our mobile devices continue to move towards replacing our wallets, we can begin to see more of these types of innovative payment technologies being deployed in the world around us. With the proliferation of smartwatches, this may become even easier as a simple swipe of a poster will enable you to see an advertisement, buy the item, and thanks to new logistics technology the item will be waiting for you when you arrive home. It’s a vision that will soon be a reality. For now we will have to be content on using this technology to buy music, games, movies, and electronic publications. Would you buy content from an advertisement that is displayed on a poster, kiosk, or any other form of advertisement? Let us know what you think about this new advertising partnership in the comment section, or hit us up on our G+ page.