Star Lager Beer, in conjunction with Bytesize, its digital marketing agency, has set a new trend in events promotion with the aid of radio frequency technology during its music tour, The Trek. Using the technology of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), organisers of the annual event helped concert goers share their live experiences on social media platforms of their choice.
RFID is a technology that uses tiny computer chips about the grain of sand to track items at a distance. It is a smart device that can read information contained in a wireless device or “tag” from a distance without making physical contact or requiring a line of sight. Although this technology has been commercially available since the 1970s, this is the first time it has been used in this manner.
The Star Music Trek started in Nigeria on June 8, 2013 at Festac town and ended two months later on August 10 in Surulere. Seventeen of the RFID devices were distributed at this year’s concert, which allowed users to automatically post pictures, as well as messages. Star now has about 250,000 Facebook fans and a verified Twitter page, which indicate its ability to effectively utilize digital technology.
With the tag, music fans from the cities in Nigeria where the tours were held could enjoy the music and dance to the performances of the artistes, and at the same time share their experiences on their Facebook and Twitter timelines. Using the pre-scripted and branded updates on the RFIDs, their family and friends on social media networks were able to join in the fun.
Mr. Obabiyi Fagbade, Brand Manager of Star Lager, noted that: “Star continues to hold steady as a trailblazing brand by giving music lovers in this digital age the very first socially enabled concert in the country. Concert goers in six cities on the trek enjoyed the experience along with great music. We hope to improve this experience on subsequent activations on the Star Music platform, and also encourage our consumers and fans to stay close as they shine with us.”
