Top 5 Smart Packaging Ideas

What’s your favorite branding and customer engagement tool? 

For some brands, it’d be the website. For others, it could be emails, content marketing, events, PRs, etc. 

But there’s one fantastic customer engagement and branding tool that many brands overlook. 

We’re talking about product packaging. 

Strategic product packaging can do wonders for your brand. And with smart product packaging, you can take your packaging to a whole new level. 

Smart packaging comprises various tools and technologies to make product packaging connected and interactive.

Five smart packaging ideas

If you want to leverage smart product packaging, you’re at the right place. Here are five smart packaging ideas to implement in your packaging strategy. 

QR codes

QR codes are one of the best tools for smart product packaging. You can use QR codes to bring offline consumers to online channels and engage them better. With QR codes, you can boost customer engagement, loyalty, and retention. 

Moreover, QR codes are one of the easiest and most cost-effective smart packaging tools to implement. You don’t need any high-end technology or knowledge. All you need is a good QR code generator platform.

Here are some ways to use QR codes on packaging:

• Share helpful information in the form of a PDF or video

• Send consumers to your website or landing page
• Bring users to your social media profiles
• Promote app downloads
• Share contact details

Many renowned brands have included QR codes in their packaging strategy. 

Redken, an American haircare brand, included a QR code for its website on the product packaging. Shoppers could scan the QR code to visit the website and explore other products and services. 

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Create a QR code for packaging with QRCodeChimp

And if you’re wondering how to create QR codes for smart packaging, here’s where QRCodeChimp comes into the picture.

QRCodeChimp is a QR code generator and management platform that lets you create QR codes for product packaging. You can create stunning QR codes of various types to truly elevate your product packaging strategy.

Here’s why you should use QRCodeChimp for QR code packaging:

• 60+ QR code shapes
• Extensive customization with colors, stickers, logos, and more
• White labeling
• Folders and subaccounts
• Bulk uploading
• 35+ QR code solutions 
• And much more

Sign up for QRCodeChimp today to create a QR code for smart packaging. 

NFC tags

Near-field communication (NFC) is a wireless communication technology that allows communication between two electronic devices. 

This technology is gaining popularity among many brands, especially in the alcohol industry. Several alcohol manufacturers, like Remy Martin, include NFC chips in the bottle lids. 

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The NFC chip is activated when the consumer opens the bottle. Users can then use their smartphones to access the information inside the chip. 

You can use an NFC chip to share in-depth product information, offers, promotions, and more. 

NFC may sound like a complex technology, but it’s pretty simple. All you need to do is purchase an empty NFC tag and write the information using an NFC writer. Now, embed the NFC tag into your product packaging, and you’re good to go. 

RFID chips

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is another communication technology that works similarly to NFC. In fact, NFC is a specialized subset of RFID. 

RFID uses radio waves to enable one-way communication between the RFID tag and an electronic device, like a smartphone. 

These tags offer various benefits, such as:

• Inventory monitoring
• Location tracking
• Tamper control
• Higher security

RFID-enabled product packaging is becoming the norm in the food, FMCG, and healthcare industries. Several food businesses use RFID tags to trace their shipments and enable a transparent, fully-visible supply chain.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) is another trendy technology for smart packaging. It allows consumers to view and engage with interactive digital elements, resulting in an immersive and memorable experience. 

Moreover, using AR for intelligent packaging is easier than you think. You just need to include a QR code with an AR.js marker on the product packaging. Users can scan the QR code from their smartphones to receive the AR experience. 

Here’s why you should use AR in product packaging:

• Offer an immersive customer experience
• Inform and educate your consumers
• Boost brand loyalty and awareness
• Get a competitive edge

Pepsi used AR-enabled product packaging to promote the 10th anniversary of the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Customers could scan the AR code to view the specially-marked Pepsi cans. 

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Contests, giveaways, and games

It’s possible to keep your smart packaging simple yet engaging without using technologies like NFC and RFID. You can just use engaging text and visuals to turn your packaging into a powerful branding and customer engagement tool. 

Contests and giveaways are an excellent way to elevate your product packaging and make it action-focused. You can host a contest or giveaway and include its information on the packaging, like the participation criteria, dates, winner selection, and prize. People who buy the product can follow the instructions to participate in the contest.

For example, Colgate India conducted a giveaway of gold worth INR 1 lakh (USD 1,250). Consumers who bought the toothpaste tube could give a missed call to participate in the contest. 

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5 smart packaging best practices to follow

Intelligent packaging is the new normal in product packaging. It’s high time for brands to see packaging as a branding and customer engagement tool, not just a protective layer on their products. 

But if you’re new to connected packaging, you may need a kickstart. Here are some best practices to run successful smart packaging campaigns:

Choose the right smart packaging technology

As mentioned, you can use various technologies for smart packaging, like QR codes, NFC, RFID, and more. But with each technology having benefits and limitations, deciding which one to choose can be difficult.

Therefore, it’s crucial to understand how each technology works and its benefits, limitations, and ease of use. 

If you need a cost-effective and versatile smart product packaging solution, QR codes will be the right choice. They require a minimal upfront investment, have various applications, and are easy to create and manage. 

And with QRCodeChimp, you can create and manage all your QR codes for smart packaging in one place. Our QR code generator lets you create stunning QR codes to bring offline consumers online and turn them into loyal customers. 

Ensure strategic placement and visibility

Your smart product packaging will be engaging and actionable only if the interactive elements on the packaging are visible. For example, if you want consumers to scan a QR code, make sure that the QR code is visible and scannable. 

Similarly, if you have an NFC or RFID tag embedded in the packaging, use appropriate text or visuals to tell consumers what they need to do. 

Focus on the visual appeal

With 70% of consumers getting a brand impression solely based on product packaging, the packaging of your product is instrumental to your branding. 

The visuals, such as the colors, images, and designs, determine the overall branding of your product. 

When using intelligent packaging, don’t compromise on the design and visual appeal of your product packaging. Always keep in mind that smart packaging compliments your traditional product packaging. It doesn’t replace it.

Smart product packaging supports design-driven product packaging instead of replacing it.

Track the ROI and profitability

Smart packaging is also known as connected packaging, as it connects offline and online channels. Here, product packaging is the offline channel and the online destinations like the PDF, video, website, social media, etc., are the online channels. 

If you’re using smart product packaging for offline-to-online customer customer onboarding, tracking its return on investment (ROI) and profitability is essential. 

So, be sure to deploy the necessary methods to measure the success of your smart packaging initiatives. 

Collect and utilize customer information

When you bring offline consumers online, you can collect their data. This data can inform your marketing team and help them run targeted marketing campaigns. 

In contrast, you’ll miss out on tremendous marketing and customer engagement potential if you don’t utilize this data.

Thus, devise a strategy to collect and leverage customer data to support your marketing initiatives. 

For example, you can use a QR code on product packaging to bring people to a landing page. You can then collect their email addresses and add them to your email marketing list. 

Develop a continuous engagement strategy

Smart product packaging is one of many ways to bring offline consumers to online channels. What’s more important is developing a strategy to keep the consumers engaged after they’re onboarded.

Once you bring the offline consumer to an online channel, find ways to engage them continuously. You can do this by providing an engaging experience on your website, sending them emails, connecting with them on social media, and more. 

Final thoughts

Product packaging is vital in creating a solid first impression and enhancing your branding. And with connected product packaging, you can make your packaging actionable, immersive, and engaging. 

With technologies like QR code packaging, NFC, and RFID, you can encourage your consumers to connect with your brand through product packaging. So, hop on the smart packaging bandwagon to enhance your packaging and outshine your competition. 

Do you want to implement smart product packaging with QR codes? QRCodeChimp has got you covered. 

Sign up for QRCodeChimp today to create and track QR codes for smart product packaging.