It’s a Sunday morning, and you have slowed down the pace of working today. You just woke up and went down to grab breakfast. While grabbing the things, the cereal box grabs your attention.
You notice it is adorned with a QR code that promises you to take on a unique journey from manufacturing to on your table. You scan the code, which gives you the details about the brand, its story, a small tour of the manufacturing plant, the animals from which the milk was extracted, and the packaging process.
In addition, it has numerous games that can help you gain rewards and freebies! That’s one part of Smart Packaging using a QR code.
With the ever-evolving technology, everything around us is getting smarter- from mobile phones and homes to our fridges and coffee mugs (okay, let’s drop the last one, it might not have, but it will soon!).
Originally, packaging was simply to preserve and protect the products inside it. But not just the cereal cartoon; the variety of product packaging has become smart, which helps you to increase brand communication, awareness, and value.
Let’s start with the basics first and understand Smart packaging.
Smart Packaging is more than just ordinary packaging that helps you to attract customers and protect your product. It helps to enhance the functionality and the ability of packaging to interact with the customers in a more digital form.
It helps to improve the shelf-life and quality of the product by providing real-time conditions of the product. It has components that adjust the condition inside and keep the product fresh.
It monitors the condition of a product during transit and storage. It consists of different components like sensors and indicators to provide real-time information.
It provides consumers with premium and exclusive content using codes. The consumer can scan codes using devices and take them to a curated digital experience.
If you’re into the F&B industry, here’s an article on recent innovations in smart packaging. Now that we know Smart Packaging, let’s explore some of its benefits.
Smart packaging is typically equipped with technologies to help brands predict product demand. It can collect real-time data and provide more opportunities to connect with customers.
Here are some benefits that you can gain by adopting Smart Packaging technology:
Smart packaging helps your brand to connect with customers. It allows them to share insight stories, product information, or other related information. That can help to improve customers’ digital experience.
Using QR codes, NFC tags, and interactive labels help out. Brands can use that to help customers give access to premium content and personalized recommendation. That can help to improve customer experience and loyalty.
In addition, the brands can provide more detailed information, discounts, and promotions that boost personalized experiences.
For example, Hershey includes Smartlabel QR codes in Hershey’s bar to celebrate the Sheroes in our society. When the consumers scan the QR code, they are redirected to the site where they can learn more about the Sheroes.
That helped them to improve customer experience and brand awareness.
Smart packaging helps to keep your products safe and fresh by controlling temperature, oxygen, and humidity level to improve their shelf-life. In addition, brands can monitor the movements of products through the supply chain.
That ensures the product does not tamper and quality is maintained by protecting against contamination.
For example, the color-changing smart labels can help customers to ensure the food is safe to consumers or not. These labels indicate the freshness of a product which changes color accordingly by detecting the level of CO2 in the packaging.
Smart packaging provides your brand with real-time monitoring of the product’s position, condition, and other logistical information by embedding tracking devices and sensors. For example, RFID tags can help brands to track products as they move through the supply chain. It is a wireless item detection and is often invisible to consumers.
In addition, Smart packaging can help to detect the location, temperature, and condition of the product, helps to reduce the risk of theft, reduce waste, and ensure optimal product quality throughout the supply chain process.
For example, Levi Strauss & Co. uses RFID tags to enhance efficiency and reduce costs in their supply chain management. It helps brands to track the moment of their product from manufacturing to point of sale.
In addition, it helps brands to track products in real-time and provide personalized services to their customers.
Smart packaging includes features such as barcodes, RFID tags, and holograms that help to prevent counterfeit products from entering the market. These labels can be scanned using mobile phones or other devices, enabling customers to verify the product's authenticity.
For example, Louis Vuitton uses RFID chips to locate the product inside the bags that the naked eye can’t see. In addition, only the salesperson can scan the chip to find counterfeit products when consumers return or repair them.
One of the benefits of Smart packaging is it helps to reduce costs. For example, by incorporating RFID tags, brands can easily track the inventory level, which helps to reduce the time and cost associated with inventory management.
In addition, the real-time analysis of the product's condition can help you reduce waste. And you can take proactive steps to prevent products from getting spoiled. This can significantly help to save costs.
In addition, tracking and optimizing the shipping path can help reduce shipping costs for your brand.
Smart packaging can help brands to earn trust. It allows brands to provide better information. By sharing details on product packaging, materials, and manufacturing process.
It helps the brand to build a better-personalized connection with the consumers. In addition, brands can engage with customers by allowing them to participate in surveys, polls, or contests.
For example, Nestle Maggi uses a QR code. When consumers scan the code, a mobile page is opened. That contains detailed product information, which helps engage with consumers and build trust.
Here are a few steps that can help brands to implement smart packaging:
The smart packaging market is rapidly evolving with the growing demands in various industries. From healthcare to food and beverage, smart packaging is helping brands connect with their customers in a more easy way.
Smart packaging is a powerful way to enhance customer experience and brand transparency.
Bizongo Desworks can help you out to get started with smart packaging. We specialize in packaging design solutions that attract your audience and improve branding. Check out this free tool to analyze your packaging structure.
