Softcard Enlists ‘Tappy’ to Teach the Masses about NFC (Nov. 18, 2014)
A bug-eyed puppet in the shape of a POS device might be just what Softcard needs to get consumers thinking about tapping their phones more often to pay at the POS. Tappy, the whimsical star of a new campaign to educate consumers about Softcard and mobile payments, might even help people forget Softcard’s original name, Isis. Softcard is the NFC-based mobile payment initiative backed by AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile.
“Despite how often consumers use point-of-sale (POS) payment terminals, our research indicates consumers tend to overlook the hardware,” Cie Nicholson, marketing senior vice president at Softcard, wrote on company’s blog. “Swiping is an engrained behavior; however, mobile payments changes that experience, replacing a swipe with a tap. The challenge, of course, is that acceptance is not yet ubiquitous. We need people to look for the contactless EMV symbol to know where to pay.”
Softcard customers live “phone-first” lives, and they need to be reached on platforms where they’re consuming information, so the campaign will appear in digital channels, according to Nicholson. The Tappy campaign launched last week on Softcard’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumbler and YouTube channels. Available videos include a general one introducing Tappy and Softcard, Tappy with a bit of stage fright on the counter of a McDonald’s restaurant and another video where he meets famous wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper (who clearly doesn’t use a cart when he shops). Tappy was built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop of “The Muppets” fame.
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