Ultimate QR Success Guide for FMCG Brands

FMCG stands for fast-moving consumer goods. It’s also known as consumer packaged goods (CPG) or simply consumer goods. 

Projected to reach $15.36 trillion by 2025, FMCG is one of the largest industries worldwide. The soaring global economy and spending power (especially among the middle class) are driving the FMCG market. 

Moreover, new brands are continuously entering the market, making it highly competitive and, to some extent, commoditized. 

Over the years, technology and digitization have played a vital role in evolving the CPG sector. The need for omnichannel and the fight for consumer attention have encouraged FMCG brands to upgrade their tech capabilities and provide digital experiences to consumers. 

CPG brands worldwide have adopted QR codes to meet these expectations, bridge the online-offline gap, and provide a top-notch customer experience. 

Here’s an ultimate success guide for FMCG brands to use QR codes to boost branding, drive sales, and drive loyalty. 

Evolving FMCG industry, smart packaging, and the need for QR codes

The growth of the FMCG sector relies significantly on the macroeconomics of a country or the entire globe. A rising economy, accompanied by increasing spending power and lower inflation, results in more sales of consumer goods. 

If the economy takes a downturn, the FMCG industry is one of the first sectors to take the hit. A similar trend was seen with COVID-19. 

The sector didn’t really collapse due to COVID. Data suggests that the FMCG sector grew by 32% between Feb 2019 and March 2020. The story, however, isn’t as straightforward as it seems. 

While the sales of some products like hand sanitizers, face masks, and certain food products soared, processed foods and beverages went downhill. 

The pandemic led to a paradigm shift in consumer goods, tilting it toward digital innovation and shopping convenience.

Trends in consumer goods

Let’s look at some trends reshaping the FMCG sector. 

• Consumer experience: The demand for convenience is increasing in the FMCG sector. Brands are constantly fighting to provide better and more convenient consumer experiences by making shopping easier and more accessible. 
• Omnichannel: Consumers now shop online and offline, and they expect similar experiences across channels. Therefore, FMCG brands must implement an omnichannel strategy to reach a broader consumer base. 
• Digitization: The need for omnichannel has made digitization mandatory for FMCG brands. Upgrading digital capabilities will help brands collect first-party consumer data and engage their consumers better. 
• Sustainability: Consumers are becoming increasingly inclined towards socially and environmentally responsible brands. FMCG brands are adopting sustainable packaging practices to reduce their environmental impact and demonstrate their social responsibility. 

Smart packaging is packaging that allows FMCG brands to capitalize upon these trends. It involves adding digital capabilities to product packaging with technologies like QR codes, NFC, RFID, etc.

However, QR codes are the best technology for innovative packaging because of their ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and versatility. FMCG brands can put QR codes on their packaging to onboard consumers to online channels and offer an engaging experience.

How to use QR codes on consumer goods?

QR codes have multiple use cases, and FMCG brands can determine how to use them based on their requirements and objectives. To make things easier, we’ve put together the top applications of QR codes for FMCG brands. 

Share detailed product information

Consumers nowadays want to know the product in and out before buying it. While product packaging is the go-to place for learning about a product, it has limited space. 

FMCG brands can use QR codes on product packaging to share in-depth product information. You can redirect users to a video, PDF, web page, or other places containing information about the product. 

Get targeted website traffic

Every brand needs a website. If you sell online, you need to bring consumers to your site, where they can explore and buy more products. 

You can use QR codes to drive traffic to your website. Put a QR code on your packaging and allow consumers to visit your site with a single scan. 

You can also have a QR code on your print ads and billboards to bring potential consumers to your website and get sales. 

Collect valuable consumer feedback

FMCG brands should continuously strive to improve their products, and the best way to do that is by collecting consumer feedback. 

QR codes enable CPG brands to collect feedback. Put a Feedback QR code on your product packaging to send consumers to a feedback form. 

Share customer support information

QR codes help FMCG brands share customer support information, allowing consumers to seamlessly contact the support team should the need arise. 

You can create a digital business card to share all your customer support information, such as contact number and email address, in one place. 

Share tutorials, recipes, and instructions

Food brands can share recipes for delicious dishes with a QR code. You can redirect users to a video, PDF, or image gallery, enabling them to make the most of your product. 

Promote your social media profiles

Social media is one of the best places to engage your consumers online. Several FMCG brands are continuously engaging consumers on social media and cultivating loyalty. 

You can use QR codes to send people to your social media profiles with a single scan. 

Share coupons, discounts, and offers

Brands can also boost consumer engagement with coupon QR codes. These QR codes send consumers to a page containing coupon information, validity, T&C, and more. Users can scan the QR code to visit the page to learn about the coupon and claim it. 

Bring consumers to your loyalty program

QR codes can enable FMCG brands to bring consumers to their loyalty programs. Make it easier for your consumers to join your loyalty program and get exclusive benefits, resulting in higher loyalty and retention. 

Types of FMCG products

Fast-moving consumer goods are of various types. Broadly speaking, all products with a short life span, which need to be consumed at a “fast pace,” fall under FMCG. 

Let’s look at the types of FMCG products and how QR codes fit on them. 

Processed foods

Processed foods include chips, candies, biscuits, and similar products. Brands can use QR codes to share information about product ingredients or to bring users to websites/social media. 

Packaged, ready-to-cook meals

Ready-to-cook meals like cup noodles and frozen French fries fall into this category. Here, brands can use QR codes to share instructions and recipes. 

Beverages

This category includes all kinds of bottled or packaged beverages, like sodas, fruit juices, and energy drinks. QR codes can help beverage brands share recipes and information about ingredients and manufacturing. 

Drugs and medicines

All types of prescription drugs, medicines, and supplements comprise this category. Here, QR codes can help with anti-counterfeiting and sharing usage instructions.

Toiletries and cleaning products

It includes all types of cleaning products, like floor cleaners, toilet cleaners, soaps, and detergents. You can use QR codes to share usage instructions, ingredients used, and other helpful information. 

Cosmetics and grooming products

All cosmetics and grooming products, including shampoo, facewash, moisturizers, and the like, also fall into FMCG. Brands can put QR codes on these products to share “how to use” guides and content information. 

Stationary and office supplies

Pens, markers, pencils, staplers, and other types of stationary and office supplies are also a part of consumer goods. Here, you can use QR codes to bring people to your website, where they can check out and buy other products. 

Benefits of QR codes for FMCG brands

QR codes have various applications for FMCG brands. Find out the top benefits of using QR codes for consumer goods. 

Turn your product packaging into a branding powerhouse

Add QR codes to your product packaging to make it a powerful branding tool. You can put a QR code with a logo on your product packaging to make it visually appealing and drive branded engagement. 

Inform, educate, and empower your consumers

Share useful information in the form of PDFs, videos, and images to educate your consumers and help them make informed decisions. A QR code lets you share a wide range of information with a single scan. 

Build direct, meaningful connections with your consumers

Customer engagement is about building meaningful connections, and QR codes help you do that. FMCG brands can use QR codes to connect directly with consumers, collect first-party data, and form lasting relationships. 

Note: You can use QR codes to bring users to your website, social media, landing page, and other touchpoints, from where you can engage them further.

Give life to your traditional ads

Many FMCG brands still invest heavily in traditional advertising, like newspaper ads, billboards, flyers & brochures, and more. You can make your ads even better by adding QR codes to them. A QR code will add digital capabilities to your ads, allowing you to onboard offline consumers to online channels. 

Offer frictionless consumer experiences

The FMCG market is quite commoditized, with consumers looking for the best value for money. Unlike the fashion, electronics, and automotive sectors, the loyalty element is not high in the FMCG industry. 

Brands that want to build loyalty must offer seamless consumer experiences, and QR codes enable that. With QR codes, you can effortlessly bring offline consumers to online channels, offer them a hassle-free experience, and cultivate consumer loyalty.

Use cases: Some FMCG brands using QR codes 

If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some CPG brands using QR codes to boost their marketing and customer engagement efforts. 

Dove

Dove, a grooming and skincare brand, implemented QR codes for marketing and supply chain management. The brand put QR codes on bus stop kiosks to share valuable tips about Dove products, resulting in high consumer engagement. 

Additionally, Dove put QR codes on product packaging to fight counterfeiting and enable consumers to join the loyalty program.

Tata Salt

Tata Consumer Products put a QR code on its product Tata Salt to send users to their Instagram profile. Consumers could scan the QR code and connect with the brand on Instagram. 

Britannia

Brittania put a QR code on its Good Day cookies to send consumers to the Good Dare events page. Consumers who bought the Good Day pack needed to record themself and share it on Instagram. They stood a chance to earn exciting prizes like a selfie ring, Bluetooth speaker, grooming kit, and more. 

Maggi

Maggi included a QR code on their “Masala-e-Magic product packaging to allow consumers to check the product’s authenticity. Upon scanning the QR code, consumers can reach a page and verify if their product is original. 

Nutella

Nutella put a QR code on its Hazelnut Spread pack to redirect consumers to its website. People can scan the QR code to reach the Nutella website and engage with the brand. 

Winkies

Winkies included QR codes for Facebook and Instagram on its Plum Cake to promote their social media profiles and connect with consumers. 

Redken

The haircare brand Redken put QR codes on its product packaging, which redirected consumers to a mobile platform containing an array of options. Redken offered a spectacular consumer experience with the QR code. 

Boxed Water is Better

Boxed Water is Better put a QR code on its sustainable packaging to bring users to the website. Once users reach the website, they can learn about the brand and shop for more products. 

How to create QR codes for consumer goods?

QR codes are a substantial technological upgrade for FMCG brands. But despite their several use cases, they’re easy to create and manage. 

QRCodeChimp is a QR code generator and management platform that lets you create custom QR codes and manage your QR code campaigns. 

Follow these steps to create a QR code:

Step 1

Go to qrcodechimp.com. 

Step 2

Go to the Solutions tab, and select a solution based on the QR code type you want to create. 

Suppose you want to create a URL QR code to send consumers to your website. In that case, go for the URL QR code solution. 

Step 3

Under the Basic Information section, enter your website URL in the “URL or Text” field. 

Tick the “Make dynamic” checkbox to create a dynamic QR code. A dynamic QR code is editable, and you can view its analytics. 

Step 4

Go to the Design, Color, and Decorate QR Code tab and customize your QR code using the given options. 

Step 5

Click on “Save QR Code,” give a name to your QR code campaign, select a folder (optional), and click on Save.

Your QR code will be saved to your QRCodeChimp dashboard. 

QRCodeChimp has a comprehensive dashboard with enterprise-grade features to help you manage your QR code campaigns like a pro.

You get the following options in your dashboard:

• Individual and Bulk QR codes
• Analytics
• Folders
• Subaccounts
• Merchandise QR Codes
• File Manager
• Trash

You can also access your profile and account settings from the dashboard. 

So, visit qrcodechimp.com today to create a free QR code. 

Summing it up

To wrap up, FMCG is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world. But at the same time, it’s evolving rapidly, with technology and digitization driving the shift. 

CPG brands need to incorporate digital elements into their marketing and customer engagement efforts, and QR codes are the best tool for it.

With QR codes, FMCG brands can bridge the gap between offline and online channels, seamlessly onboard consumers, and offer an omnichannel experience. 

If you want to create a QR code campaign, QRCodeChimp has your back. Our all-in-one QR code management system helps you create QR code campaigns that engage your consumers and grow your business.