Carlsberg Launches The Smartest Beer Mats In The World

Carlsberg is introducing what it says is the world’s first ‘digital beer mat’, equipped with the latest mobile ecommerce technology.

The Danish brewer has sent out NFC-enabled beer mats to 250 bars and pubs in Denmark as it looks to support its Crowdit lifestyle app, which keeps users updated on the local nightlife, as well as providing options for food, drink and transport.

Customers will be able to tap their phone to the beer mats to download the Crowdit app, which will also let them receive special offers and promotions through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons installed in the pubs, which Carlsberg hopes will encourage footfall and boost sales for operators.

On tap

The NFC and Bluetooth platform was supplied by proximity marketing specialist Tamoco , and the campaign will run until the end of the year.

“We are always looking for ways we can use technology to enhance the messages we deliver to our customers,” said Martin Majlund, group marketing technologist at Carlsberg.

“Using proximity technology such as NFC and iBeacon allow us to do just that, and gives us the ability to deliver content that is relevant in both its context and timing. Being able to dynamically change the messages through the cloud based on factors such as time of day or day of week gives us a whole new dimension to connect with our customers.”

Many of today’s top smartphones, including the iPhone 6, now come equipped with NFC technology as customers increasingly embrace ecommerce options.  The London Underground network became the latest major organisation to accept the payment method last month, recording over one million uses in just nine days.

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