Around 6.8m people in the UK who use a mobile phone are awaiting near field communication (NFC) technology, which will enable them to use it to pay for goods and services and receive offers in real-time, according to a study conducted by Acxiom .
However, the equipment for NFC isn’t ready just yet and is set to be tested in several UK towns during the summer and latter half of 2011.
The survey, which polled 17,000 people revealed that those most likely to use NFC are married couples aged 45 to 54 and earning in excess of £40,000 per year. They are generally enjoy extensive travel, skiing, playing golf and going to restaurants. They are likely to be regular donors to charity and own at least two cars per household, preferring Saab, Audi, Mercedes or Land Rover.
Gaurang Vartikar, Acxiom Europe’s head of mobile, said: “Our results show these consumers will be the early adopters of NFC and the best way to reach them would be trials at their favourite retail stores, which are Sainsburys Local, Tesco Metro, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer. Contactless data transfer opens up a world of possibilities for marketers. From new payment options to marketing and peer-to-peer communications, the opportunities are immense.”
