The Future Marketing Benefits of Near-Field Communication

I went to a new media discussion panel last week, and among bringing up some very interesting topics relevant to my studies, they tossed around some terms I wasn't completely familiar with. I jotted them down and just now went back to learn more about Near Field Communication and QR Code.

I think Near Field Communication has the greatest possibility for web 3.0 marketing of anything I've seen recently. Now, I'm no expert in how this all works, but stay with me. From what I've read Near Field Communication is a capability of smartphones that allows them to communicate with each other when they are brought into close proximity of one another. Right now, this distance is at no more than a few centimeters, and writing this now I recall seeing a couple commercials for smartphones with this ability.

I see this as the first step in a huge new development for our mobile devices. Apps like "Google Wallet" are already making it possible to place your phone near a credit-card scanner and pay for things without the use of cash or card. While this sounds crazy awesome, I worry about the security risks this poses to one's funds when, via Near Field Communication, someone could potentially access your Google Wallet account just by being close to you and mildly tech-savvy.

But anyway, on to marketing. What I think would be interesting is that as the distance these fields are capable of reaching increase, couldn't nearby stores and shopping areas send a friendly promo to your phone, or the email account you check on your phone, when you become close enough to the physical place of exchange? You see the ad, something catches your eye, and behold, a handy map that shows it is just a short distance to the shop in question, and you have a few minutes to spare. I find that shopping online offers me a great deal of chances to doubt my purchase or abandon my cart. When I'm holding something in my hands that I want, I'm much more likely to cave and buy it. Sure, this whole new marketing scheme has the potential to be extremely annoying and invasive, but I predict that someday soon, someone or some company will figure it out. Web 3.0 is all about mobile devices and being able to do all that we can from a computer from our phones. Why not use them to bring online shopping back to the real world?