JCDecaux, the leading outdoor advertising company, has announced a strategic partnership with zappit to develop NFC-enabled services for JCDecaux and JCDecaux Airport in the UK. zappit, known for its expertise in QR, NFC, and mobile payment technology, will help brands engage consumers through their smartphones.
This collaboration follows the successful “Test the Near Future” trial conducted in March 2012 in Reading, marking the first large-scale deployment of NFC-enabled outdoor advertising sites. The partnership signifies the launch of NFC outdoor advertising campaigns across JCDecaux’s roadside, rail, and airport businesses.
David McEvoy, UK Marketing Director of JCDecaux, stated, “We worked very closely with zappit during the ‘Test the Near Future’ trial, and this new partnership will enable us to develop our NFC offer for our clients in the future. The trial showed that the public was overwhelmingly positive about the NFC-enabled outdoor experience, citing ease of use. As the penetration of NFC-enabled smartphones continues to grow with the next generation of phones such as the Samsung S3 and Nokia Lumia 920, there are new opportunities for clients to amplify their outdoor campaigns and deepen their engagement with customers.”
Mark Fraser, CEO of zappit, added, “zappit powered the JCDecaux ‘Test the Near Future’ NFC trial, which offered consumers a variety of rich media and social content, as well as incentives such as vouchers. The results of the trial clearly show that consumers are ready for NFC, and that will only increase as manufacturers now include NFC as standard in their handsets. The potential of NFC for instant brand engagement with a consumer is powerful. By 2013, NFC will be the dominant mobile marketing technology, delivering instant value to consumers such as coupons, loyalty, and products, and providing brands with richer data, anytime, anywhere mobile payments, and the ability to make more relevant and personalized offers.”
The March 2012 trial involved JCDecaux, Kinetic, and zappit deploying NFC-enabled 6-sheets in Reading. Working with 13 clients from GroupM agencies, the campaigns ran across all poster sites in Reading over a four-week period, resulting in over 3,000 scans—equivalent to a million people nationwide.
About JCDecaux
JCDecaux is the UK’s market-leading outdoor advertising company and part of the world’s largest out-of-home advertising organization. It is the number one supplier of advertising opportunities across roadside, retail, rail, and airport environments in the UK. At the forefront of digital out-of-home, JCDecaux’s expanding portfolio offers advertisers enormous creative opportunities and greater flexibility, allowing campaigns to be tailored and topical.
About zappit
zappit is a technology firm providing a platform for brands, agencies, and media owners to maximize their engagement with new and existing customers using NFC, QR, and mobile payment technology.
