Only 8% of European consumers are aware of NFC technology, up just 2% from a year ago, a survey of 9,000 people in six European countries has found.

QR Codes, meanwhile, recorded a 14% rise in awareness to 54%, CBS Outdoor's annual Interactive Europe study found.

"As more and more smart devices are NFC enabled, we expect to see a significant uplift in the short-term," the out-of-home media giant says, however. "It is only a matter of time until NFC technology underpins a mainstream interactive behaviour to make interacting with advertising via a smart device an everyday norm and a very real consumer expectation."