RFID in London Museums and a Business Near You

You will increasingly see RFID technology in places of business and recreation. The newest location to undergo this transformation is the London History Museum.

The London History Museum is implementing RFID in a wide and varied set of applications. Upon arrival to the museum you can tap your NFC (Near Field Communication) enabled cell phone at the front desk to become part of the “Friends Scheme.” This allows updates of upcoming events, free access to certain exhibits, a percentage off at the gift shop, as well as other perks.

While walking through the museum you can tap specialized wall mounts near especially famous pieces of art or history. This allows the phone’s user to gain additional information about the piece as well as additional specialized media concerning the piece.

Other specialized tags are scattered throughout the museum. They provide a variety of functions including a downloadable voucher for the gift shop, direct navigation to allow purchase of special exhibit tickets, as well as linking to the museum’s Facebook or Twitter page, allowing users to “like” or “follow” the London History Museum.

It is very impressive how varied the applications within a single museum are, and this is only a preliminary test. Think of the uses once it becomes fully accepted and integrated throughout the entire museum.

This may take a while to happen, however, as the vast majority of London residents do not own NFC equipped cell phones. However, as this technology becomes more and more accepted you can be sure the NFC equipped cell phone will soon be a much desired item.

As predicted in the previous Ushuaia Beach Hotel blog post, this technology will become more and more common, starting with relatively expensive entertainment venders. The marketing advantages and increased engagement of such a system are truly a force to be reckoned with.

In my opinion, there is a great deal to be gained by being an early adopter. If you are part of an entertainment business which would like to try something new (and has the necessary capital to do so), you should consider implementing such a system. First, if you are the first in your area, you may be able to gain a good deal of PR locally. Second, it may become a sort of novelty item that people will come to experience. Third, the Facebook and Twitter marketing angle could help you gain traction with your target audience as well as support your current social media marketing efforts.

For this to happen, you will have to implement the RFID in a creative and engaging way. People do not want re-hashed ideas, but rather fun and appealing innovation. This is what truly provides value.

If you would like to talk to an RFID expert about possible implementation within your business, contact Ron Pulvermacher at 608 834-1661. With more than 20 years of experience in the RFID industry, Ron and his team at Matrix Product Development are capable and qualified to help with your particular need. Contact Ron today.