Companies work to make NFC technology commonplace in China
Jiepang, a Foursquare-esque social network based in China, and Starbucks have announced the second anniversary of their partnership to promote NFC technology. For the past two years, the two companies have been working to make NFC technology commonplace throughout China. Both companies have a great deal of experience with the technology and believe it could be used to connect with consumers in a more dynamic fashion. As part of the second anniversary celebration, the companies are offering benefits to consumers that make use of their NFC-based social systems.
Checking-in at Starbucks could net consumers rewards
When consumers visit a Starbucks store in eastern China, they will have the opportunity to check-in their attendance through the Jiepang social network. Doing so will award consumers with Frappuccino virtual badges. These badges can be applied to receive a number of prizes. One particular prize will pair a consumer with one of Starbucks’ master coffee makers to develop a personalized coffee product.
NFC technology beginning to expand beyond mobile commerce
NFC technology is beginning to expand beyond the mobile commerce industry. Though the technology is not solely relegated to mobile commerce, it has seen the majority of its use come in the form of facilitating mobile payments. NFC technology is beginning to see more use in the marketing field, were it has been identified as a powerful way to connect with consumers and provide them with either information or deals on particular products.
Partnership expected to continue into the future
Jiepand and Starbucks expect to continue their partnership for the foreseeable future. The pair aims to ensure that NFC technology establishes a strong presence in China, creating a foundation for what the future may hold for the technology. Starbucks has expressed a great deal of interest in the technology over the past several years, adopting the technology for its own mobile payment ventures.
