Mr Beacon has a new video interview with Barry McGeough, who has worked with Dr. Martins, North Face and Speedo. He’s the founder and former head of innovation at PVH who work with brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and IZOD.
The interview covers the use of RFID, barcodes and beacons by brands. Brands are increasingly needing to directly connect with consumers to assure them that they are understood. Nevertheless, retailers still control the buying process and are usually the ones to mandate use of asset tracking technologies, usually, for stock control.
The video explains how any retailer or brand using asset tracking technologies needs to make it easy and seamless. Financially, the per-unit cost of the tracking technology is especially important for lower cost commodity items such as underwear.
QR codes are ubiquitous in China and it’s expected some of the techniques will make their way to Western markets. RFID has been successful in retail where it has allowed, for example, stock tracking without having to open boxes.
Latest innovations include ‘smart mirrors’ in changing rooms that can be interacted with to request an item in a different size or find matching items. There are also usecases around checkout, security, anti-counterfeit solutions and end-of-life when it’s required to know the material makeup of an item. Tagging and apps extends the buying process to outside the store to places such as the consumers closet/wardrobe.
The conclusion is not to use technology for technology’s sake and instead invent scenarios that are easy, fun and make use of social interaction.
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