Katharina Crusius
Marketing 10 January 2025
Digitalisation is entering each and every sphere of our daily lives. Most of us carry at least one digital device with them at all times. We can use these devices in manifold ways: for entertainment, for documentation, to connect with others, or to look up information.
One way to access information on your smartphone is by scanning a QR code. Many cafés and restaurants, for example, provide their menus via QR codes. That saves time and resources. Wifi passwords and other information are often shared via Quick Response (QR) codes as well. They are an innovative and sustainable means of providing product transparency.
Thus, it comes as no surprise that the packaging industry in particular has come up with smart ways to utilise this technology.
Use QR Codes to Meet Your Customers' Needs
A high level of product transparency is a significant factor in many people’s purchasing decisions. Thus, providing detailed information about how, where and by whom your products were made is an essential part of increasing sales.
QR codes are a cheap and easy way of sharing information with consumers without compromising your product’s visual integrity. They are easy to integrate into your existing product design. As long as they have a minimum size of 10mm x 10mm, mobile devices such as smartphones should easily be able to read the codes. So, they do not have to take up a lot of space on your packaging.
Therefore, QR codes allow producers to raise their own standards of customer service and satisfy consumers’ need for more product transparency (Grabner).
How to Develop Relevant Content for Your Connected Packaging
The possibilities in this area are virtually infinite. That makes it even more important to put sufficient thought into creating digital content for your specific target audience.
Ask yourself these three questions before you dive in:
#1 What do I want to achieve with the content I provide?
#2 Who are the people I want to address?
#3 What are their expectations and needs?
Once you have answered these questions, it’s time to get creative! Consumers will not be impressed by generic content. Personalised and targeted sales approaches have been proven to be the most successful (Stollerman). By providing your customers with valuable content they can interact with, you are guaranteed to set yourself apart from the competition.
Different Types of Valuable Content for Your Customers
Smart packaging in general, and connected packaging in particular, lets you create more meaningful relationships with your customers. QR codes, NFC tags, Watermarks and the like create an almost palpable connection between the digital world and physical objects as well as the people who interact with them (Gwenner). Thus, establishing a network between everyone involved in the development and purchase of said objects.
Some people will appreciate detailed information about your products, such as where they come from or how to recycle them properly. Others will find entertaining content such as games or videos more appealing. For long-term customers, a loyalty program in which they collect points or vouchers might be more interesting (Gwenner). Again, keeping your target audiences and their interests in mind will make sure your effort is well spent.
Brand Protection and Counterfeit Prevention
Just as QR codes enhance product transparency, they also play a pivotal role in brand protection. By incorporating serialized QR codes into packaging, brands can assign a unique identifier to each product. This not only simplifies stock-keeping and logistics but also ensures that the items reaching customers are genuine and meet all quality standards. Programs such as Transparency by Amazon provide a practical solution, enabling brands to combat counterfeiting while offering peace of mind to consumers.
As an authorised Transparency Service Provider (TSP), we at label.co.uk can support your label procurement needs. Our Transparency Label Generator lets you order labels quickly and easily. Alternatively, for brands looking to integrate QR codes seamlessly into their existing packaging, our bespoke design service ensures a cohesive brand appearance. This approach combines practicality with aesthetics, benefiting both the brand’s operations and the consumer’s experience.
Your Benefits
Connected packaging offers a number of benefits for producers. Gathering information, for example. You can either engage consumers actively by including surveys and polls, asking them to give you feedback or write a review (Gwenner; Grabner).
You can also track consumers’ interaction metrics. With dynamic QR codes, you can analyse your efforts better and they can help you come up with strategies to optimise your marketing (Funke).
By distributing different kinds of engaging content you can even increase sales. Collectables, vouchers, games or videos are a great way to motivate your customers to repeatedly purchase your products.
What to Take away from this – TLDR
Valuable content can come in all sorts of ways, shapes and forms. One of the most important principles is to keep your goals and your customers in mind when you set out to create something for them to interact with. So here are our top takeaways from this article:
#1 QR codes with interesting digital content help you set your products apart from your competition – both in terms of design and usability.
#2 Make your connected content count!
#3 Serialised codes from Amazon Transparency will protect your brand from counterfeiting.
Sources
Funke, Tobias. “Product Packaging QR Codes: 24 Use Cases & Expert Tips.” Bitly, 17 Jan. 2024, www.bitly.com/blog/qr-code-product-packaging/. Accessed 31 Dec 2024.
Grabner, Fabian. “Connected Packaging.” Greiner Packaging, www.greiner-gpi.com/de/Newsroom/Trending%20Topics/Connected-Packaging_s_346358. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Gwenner, Natalie. “Connected Packaging to Increase Consumer-Brand Engagement.” Weber Marking Blog – Labeling and Coding Solutions, 31 July 2023, www.weber-marking.com/blog/connected-packaging-to-increase-consumer-brand-engage. Accessed 31 Dec 2024.
Stollerman, Jan. “How Connected Packaging Amplifies the Consumer Experience.” Packaging Digest, 27 Nov. 2023, www.packagingdigest.com/smart-packaging/how-connected-packaging-amplifies-the-consumer-experience. Accessed 05 Jan 2025.
