As shoppers enter the olive oil aisle in grocery stores, one tap from their NFC-enabled mobile device to tagged signage will instantly deliver content from Bertolli that features an ingredient list and instructional videos, helping them plan their next meal directly at the point-of-purchase.

The interactive mobile marketing campaign engages with shoppers on the go, providing all the details necessary to purchase relative ingredients in a single-store visit. The consumer-packaged-good brand worked with Thinaire on the campaign.

?While NFC has been around for decades as a chain-of-custody tracking tool for CPG and apparel brands, contactless mobile engagement is now becoming the darling of shopper marketing agencies,? said Mark Donovan, chief operating officer at Thinaire, New York.

?This emerging opportunity allows brands to learn about how shoppers interface with their favorite brands on their phones while in-store,? he said.

?Just at the moment when shoppers are making the decision to purchase these CPG brand items, brands have an opportunity to engage and offer immediate value exchange. By creating this mobile overlay, CPG brands can extend existing shopper marketing campaigns through a new channel ? mobile engagement.?

Taste test
The mobile content is meant to heighten the appeal of Bertolli Olive Oil as tantalizing recipes and short-form videos starring Chef Fabio Viviani to bring the products to life through tagged SmartSouce ShelfTalk signs.

The bite-sized films will range from meal preparation for the week's featured dish, to educational ?Olive Oil 101? discussions on specific uses for Bertolli Extra Virgin, Classico and Extra Light blends.

Building on the success of their first mobile marketing campaign partnership that utilized SmartSource with NFC, News America Marketing and Thinaire are helping Bertolli serve rich interactive content directly to consumers in the shopping aisle.

More than mobile payments
The Bertolli ?Let?s Cook!? application with Chef Fabio mimics much of the in-aisle content with video recipes and professional kitchen and entertaining tips resented in a step-by-step format.

But the opportunity to attain information on the spot cannot be topped by branded applications that require to be downloaded.

NFC is a chip technology that marries devices through data and requires contact closer than one inch to connect.

Once ?tapped,? two devices can securely exchange data in the form of credit card information, coupons, tickets, and more.

NFC has been most famously hailed for innovating mobile payments and voiding the need to wait in long check-out lines. However, the trend has not been widely adopted and faces many challenges outside of technical issues such as expense and infancy.

But NFC promises benefits over other connectivity tech. It allows users to skip steps in setting up and pairing something such as Bluetooth, and it requires a one-motion initiation.

Caesars Entertainment, a don of casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, installed more than 4,500 interactive Samsung TecTiles in resorts, enabling anyone with a smartphone to tap various tiles in exchange for information regarding game tutorials, show times, dining menus and ticket purchases.

NFC still has its challenges. The close-range connectivity will not replace Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and is not a universal technology, as companies create personalized software systems that limit product pairing.

?For a shopper trying to make decisions about dinner selections, Bertolli is delivering menu ideas, recipes and ingredient lists on shoppers? smartphones ? right in the grocery store, where it?s the most important decision of the moment,? Mr. Donovan said.

?For shoppers who watch the videos and prepare the recipes, they will be more apt to incorporate the information and the Bertolli brand into recipes they serve to family and friends; and shoppers who interact with the Shelf Talk, will be more likely to seek or "expect" similar shopping experiences in the future.?

Final Take:
Michelle is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York