Local produce to take centre stage
Total Produce trials NFC / Beacon “SmartStands”
Fitted with NFC chips, Total Produce’s stands allow consumers to download customised fresh produce videos simply by tapping the NFC symbol on the side of the unit with their Smartphone- removing the need to scan a QR code. View a 30 second explanatory video here.
Two types of themed stands will be trialled. The first are TOP “Love Local” branded stands dedicated to promoting local produce. Designed to increase supply chain transparency and close the gap between producer and consumer, these stands will link to short videos featuring the growers supplying the fixture. Profiling the “people behind the produce”, Love Local stands will afford shoppers the opportunity to “virtually” tour the farms on which the produce they are inspecting are grown; reassuring consumers on quality and emphasising the retailers commitment to supporting local producers. A sample grower video can be viewed here. The second stand, branded TOP “Fresh n Ready” is orientated towards convenience outlets with quick, simple produce recipe videos uploaded daily for busy consumers “on the go.”
The flexibility afforded by this technology is important, argues Vincent Dolan, European Marketing Manager with Total Produce- “We can upload a new video to these units instantly to respond to opportunities; a barbecue-themed video on a sunny afternoon, a pumpkin carving video for Halloween or a recipe video to complement an in-store Price Promotion. Similarly, we can update grower videos to reflect changes in product range at any time”.
Experience has taught Total Produce that content is king. “Ultimately it’s how compelling the content is to the consumer that encourages interaction.” insists Dolan. “This technology allows us to move very quickly to meet an identified consumer need. We already have some 200 videos filmed and we’re determined that the content linked to these stands will be as fresh as the produce they are promoting.”
In parallel to NFC, Total Produce are also exploring Smartphone Beacons, the Bluetooth based technology preferred by Apple which again, dispenses with the need for scanning and automatically delivers content based on proximity to an installed device. Smartphone Beacons will be integrated into Total Produce SmartStands, alongside NFC before the summer.
Total Produce regards NFC and related technologies as the natural accompaniment and probable successor to QR codes. “Our experience is that the physical act of scanning a QR code is a significant impediment to interaction”, notes Dolan. “Though an evolving technology, NFC removes that obstacle. Coupled with the expansion of 4G telecom networks across Europe, the experience of tapping an NFC unit is much simpler, much faster and ultimately more rewarding than scanning a QR code.”
Dolan further believes that irrespective of the technology employed, the dividend for fresh produce marketers is consistent across all these Smartphone innovations; “In delivering quality content at the touch of a button at Point of Sale, they offer the potential to empower the shopper and to differentiate the fresh produce fixture in-store in a way relevant to and preferred by the new consumer.”
For more information:
Vincent Dolan,
Total Produce plc.
Tel: +353 86 8204936
Email: vdolan@totalproduce.com
www.totalproduce.com