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RFID Helps Make Friends for Israeli Teens
At the spa area, for example, if an individual tapped his or her wristband against the Like Machine, it would post an update on that person's page, indicating, "I got the best massage of my life" at Coca-Cola Village. Some readers were posted at the park entrance, to identify when individuals arrived at the event for that day, as well as when they entered the site's cafeteria to receive food and Coke drinks (included in the price of admission). Other interrogators were installed at various attractions.
Several days before the event had begun, Landenberg says, the system was already in place, and the company began considering other functions that could be added to the system as well. It came up with a feature that allowed visitors to post pictures on their personal Facebook pages. In this case, three staff members carried handheld RFID readers—attached to their shirts, or hung around their necks on a lanyard—as well as digital wireless cameras. If a teen wanted a picture of himself or herself taken and posted, that visitor could tap his or her wristband next to the employee's reader. The worker would then take a picture of that individual, and the ID number on that person's tag, along with the picture, would be received by the software, linked together and posted accordingly. Group pictures were also possible, Landenberg notes, with as many as 15 people providing their unique ID number on their wristband by tapping the reader; all 15 of those Facebook addresses would then be accessed, and the photo would be posted on each person's page.
There was incentive for visitors to use the Like Machines often, Landenberg says. Those who had their wristbands read the most often on a particular day won prizes, and were invited onstage with performers in the evening. "There were 25 Likes for each visitor, on average," he states, and a total of 1.5 million views and responses from those visiting the Coca-Cola Village Facebook site.
Moreover, the software allowed E-dologic to manage other functions at the event. For example, organizers knew how many people were at the site at any given time, because visitors presented their bracelets to readers each morning upon entering the park area. Organizers also knew who was at the cafeteria at meal times, and could estimate how many more would be coming, and thus organize meal preparation accordingly.
According to Landenberg, over the course of the six weeks the system was in use (from early July through mid-August), the company came up with additional ideas for the system. Next year, for example, he envisions building a large Coca-Cola can in which two people can enter together. A reader would be installed inside the can, and would capture the unique ID on each of the two wristbands that entered the space together. The software would then link the two IDs to Facebook addresses, and the two individuals would be listed as "friends" on Facebook.
The system benefited Coca-Cola Israel by increasing awareness of the event, Landenberg says, adding, "The Facebook guys are very happy with this." Now, Landenberg is working with event organizers in other venues throughout the world to try a similar system using RFID-enabled wristbands. "This isn't a solution that's good for every client," he notes, since the high use of Facebook, for instance, would not work with every audience, though it has generated considerable interest in the Middle East and Europe, he says, as well as in the United States. Meanwhile, he adds, Coca-Cola Village and its RFID-enabled Facebook system have been a hit with Israeli teenagers. "We've reached 100 percent—every teenager knows about it."
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Several days before the event had begun, Landenberg says, the system was already in place, and the company began considering other functions that could be added to the system as well. It came up with a feature that allowed visitors to post pictures on their personal Facebook pages. In this case, three staff members carried handheld RFID readers—attached to their shirts, or hung around their necks on a lanyard—as well as digital wireless cameras. If a teen wanted a picture of himself or herself taken and posted, that visitor could tap his or her wristband next to the employee's reader. The worker would then take a picture of that individual, and the ID number on that person's tag, along with the picture, would be received by the software, linked together and posted accordingly. Group pictures were also possible, Landenberg notes, with as many as 15 people providing their unique ID number on their wristband by tapping the reader; all 15 of those Facebook addresses would then be accessed, and the photo would be posted on each person's page.
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| To indicate on their Facebook page that they liked a certain activity, teens swiped their RFID-enabled wristbands across a nearby Like Machine, containing an RFID reader. |
There was incentive for visitors to use the Like Machines often, Landenberg says. Those who had their wristbands read the most often on a particular day won prizes, and were invited onstage with performers in the evening. "There were 25 Likes for each visitor, on average," he states, and a total of 1.5 million views and responses from those visiting the Coca-Cola Village Facebook site.
Moreover, the software allowed E-dologic to manage other functions at the event. For example, organizers knew how many people were at the site at any given time, because visitors presented their bracelets to readers each morning upon entering the park area. Organizers also knew who was at the cafeteria at meal times, and could estimate how many more would be coming, and thus organize meal preparation accordingly.
The system benefited Coca-Cola Israel by increasing awareness of the event, Landenberg says, adding, "The Facebook guys are very happy with this." Now, Landenberg is working with event organizers in other venues throughout the world to try a similar system using RFID-enabled wristbands. "This isn't a solution that's good for every client," he notes, since the high use of Facebook, for instance, would not work with every audience, though it has generated considerable interest in the Middle East and Europe, he says, as well as in the United States. Meanwhile, he adds, Coca-Cola Village and its RFID-enabled Facebook system have been a hit with Israeli teenagers. "We've reached 100 percent—every teenager knows about it."
