For brands looking to encourage customer engagement using their products, connected packaging is desirable. Through this kind of interaction with connected packaging, marketing departments have the chance to enhance the customer experience with their products while gathering valuable data to increase the return on their package investment.
Connected Packaging: A Cost-Effective Solution for Enhancing the Customer Experience
To adapt to the changing needs of consumers, organisations need to find ways to connect the physical and digital worlds in order to create a meaningful and engaging experience with their products. One effective way to do this is through the use of connected packaging, which incorporates technology such as NFC, RFID, and QR codes to provide consumers with a seamless and immersive experience. This not only enhances the customer experience but also provides brands with valuable data to inform future product development and marketing efforts. Additionally, connected packaging is a cost-effective solution that can help brands differentiate themselves from competitors and generate a higher return on their packaging investment.
The Benefits of Connected Packaging for Customer Engagement and Data Collection
With many brands making the move to connected packaging from plain packaging, a large number of brands are starting to see the effectiveness of using connected packaging. The result of a connected product means that a brand can deploy an efficient, cost-effective strategy that encourages customer engagement and provides brands with important consented customer data. As a result, many brands are starting to see the benefits of using connected packaging and are making the switch from traditional, plain packaging.
The Importance of Focusing on User Experience with Connected Packaging
It’s crucial to keep in mind that end users are more likely to be concerned with the technology’s utility, coolness, or entertainment value. Few people will play Pokemon Go or post a Snap filter while thinking, “Wow, augmented reality is cool.” By keeping this in mind, you may avoid using technology in gimmicky or novelty ways and instead concentrate on what really matters: the final user experience.
Here are three essential reasons connected packaging is necessary:
- Creative ways to tell stories: Brands now have more opportunities than ever to create engagement through their products’ packaging. Brands may offer easily accessible material that catches their audience’s interest by presenting stories and enabling a degree of interaction we haven’t seen before thanks to immersive augmented reality content and potent web-based experiences.
- The return of QR codes: According to a recent study, the widespread adoption of QR codes has increased significantly in recent years, with more and more consumers using their smartphones to scan QR codes for a variety of purposes. This has made QR codes an effective and cost-efficient way for brands to connect with consumers through their packaging, providing them with information and engaging them in new ways. With the majority of smartphones now equipped with built-in cameras and QR code scanning capabilities, the use of QR codes in packaging has become an accessible and convenient option for brands looking to enhance their customer engagement efforts.
- The capability of technology: With the increasing power of smartphones, companies are able to offer unique and immersive experiences to consumers through connected packaging. Through the use of geo-location, multiple cameras, and advanced processing power, smartphones are able to recognize and interact with surfaces and objects in the real world. This allows for the creation of intricate and engaging experiences that connect consumers with the brand and its products. 5G technology and advancements in hardware also open up possibilities for even more complex and immersive experiences in the future.
All of this is a logical progression for consumers with the usage of smartphones as digital discovery tools. It enables entertainment on packaging sometimes in the form of minigames or music-based experiences, like Tuborg’s connected pack experience, all the way to improved accessibility (as demonstrated by Kellogg’s decision to draw attention to allergen information for consumers who may have been marginalised in the past).
Another result is that it is easier to get information on sustainability and origin, as well as practical data like recipes, cooking directions, recycling recommendations, assembly instructions, etc. Consumers are interested in all of it, therefore brands may benefit from it in terms of engagement.
Maximising the Potential of Connected Packaging: Engaging Customers and Driving ROI
In conclusion, connected packaging allows brands to enhance their product narratives and reach their audience through their own channels. By making the product the focal point of their marketing strategy, brands can create engaging and immersive experiences for their customers, ultimately driving customer loyalty and increasing the return on their packaging investment. By leveraging the latest technology, brands can create unique, personalised experiences that provide value to customers and improve the overall customer experience.
