Boën wine’s new bottle is using near-field communication technology (NFC) to direct consumers to product information. All shoppers have to do is tap the cap of the bottle with their phone.
The smart bottle allows the brand to tell a story that is typically much harder to convey to shoppers who are searching the crowded aisles of a liquor store. Once a consumer touches their smartphone to the cap, they will be taken to a web page that shows the brand’s identity. The site directs visitors to look at its farmhouse, which ties to the brand’s strong agricultural roots, and food and wine pairings – both parts of the brand that would inspire a shopper to pick up this wine over competitors’ on the same shelf.
NFC in bottles seems to be a trend in the alcohol industry with Malibu using its “connected bottle” in June to send consumers to a mobile game to win prizes. A few other brands have also adopted this strategy with Boën being the most recent. However, there are barriers to this activation. The automatic information just with a tap is only possible with the two newest iPhones. Androids and older iPhones require extra steps to allow the NFC technology, which eliminates the convenience and ease of this promotion.