The future is mobile and according to Fast Company, Apple is helping it edge forward another step.
Currently under development, iphone 5 due for release in 2011 is being touted to feature cashless payment technology. According to the article in Fastcompany, Apple has just taken out a patent on RFID technology which will enable them build an RFID loop into their iphone circuitry to act as both an RFID tag or tag reader.
This is an exciting revelation that provides further proof that retail has truly shifted to being ‘anywhere a transaction happens’. By thinking of the ‘store’ in these terms, brands open up new opportunities to create even more value, convenience, delight (and differentiation) for shoppers.
The penetration of smart phones will be at the heart of the digital path to purchase. In the USA, Nielsen predicts 51% of all consumers will own a smart phone by 2011. Whilst Morgan Stanley has predicted that by 2014 more Americans will be accessing the internet via mobile devices than desktop computers.
This has massive implications for brands and retailers who will be defined by how they adapt, harness and apply convergent digital solutions into their marketing.
According to the In-Store Marketing Institute, marketers will need to do the following to take full advantage of the new digital era:
- Focus on insights
- Look beyond the brand to solutions
- Focus on message, audience and technology (in that order)
- Develop relevant content
- Target
- Commit the organisation
- Integrate activity
- Test
- Scrutinise partnerships
- Be ready to adapt
For me, the key points here are integration and ensuring that technology remains the servant (not the master). An exciting time.
