As well as this increased product value for customers, it is a great new way for businesses to collect data from customers. According to a report by Data Bridge, the global connected packaging market is expected to grow at a rate of 7.4% until 2027, giving the market a value of 30 billion USD by 2027.
Other than delivering business advantages, connected packing can also be a force for good especially when it comes to sustainability. It can help educate customers and ultimately change their behaviour for the better. Importantly for marketers, it can also help align brands to be on the right side of the fight for the future of our planet.
A brand’s wider contribution to or impact on society is a growing consideration for consumers, with sustainability one of the key topics under scrutiny. We’re seeing a growing demand for sustainable technology solutions. Brands are increasingly looking to combine environmentally-friendly business practices with consumer education and engagement. At Appetite Creative, we’ve worked on a number of web-based recycling education programmes. We’ve been helping marketers deliver important information in a way that is easy to digest and action, empowering them to make the right choices for themselves and the planet.
Working with Tetra Pak, a brand which has become increasingly focused on environmental and sustainability issues, we recently delivered a connected packaging campaign to help communicate their messages in an innovative and interactive way to customers. Our solution was to create of a series of games, discoverable by using a mobile phone to scan QR codes found on Tetra Pak packaging. Social media was used to amplify this content, with the gamification platform focused on the themes of Renew, Reduce and Recycle. Each game communicated facts around Tetra Pak’s sustainability work, mixing consumer education with fun interactive play. In addition, the data collected allowed for a deeper level of consumer behaviour analysis.
This use of connected packaging to amplify the positive work of brands, alongside education, is growing in popularity. For example, Chiquita connected its famous blue banana sticker to an interactive user experience around its sustainability practices. There are also brands using connected packaging to deliver practical tips around sustainability; Ella’s Kitchen directs consumers to its website for information on how to recycle the brand’s different packaging and Cif’s refill pack also delivers recycling instructions via a QR code.
With an ever-growing need for brands to act responsibly when it comes to environmental policies, connected packaging and the wider technology supporting it provides a smart solution. Seamlessly combining education with interaction and real-time updates, the role it plays in the consumer journey means it has a genuine ability to change consumer behaviour on issues that really matter. It’s a win for brands, for consumers, and for the planet.
This article was originally published on PackagingNews.co.uk