Digital integration in packaging An offline to online fact sheet

Shikatani Lacroix is a leading branding and design firm

located in Toronto, Canada. The company wins

commissions from around the world, across CPG, retail and

service industries, helping clients achieve success within

their operating markets. It does this by enabling its clients’

brands to better connect with consumers through a variety

of core services including corporate identity, naming and

communication, brand experience, packaging, retail,

wayfinding and product design.

About the Author

Brendon Sargent, Account Manager at Shikatani Lacroix

As an account manager at Shikatani Lacroix, Brendon

oversees packaging projects for clients such as PepsiCo

Food Canada. Brendon has extensive account management

experience in the areas of design, digital (web, mobile and

social media), print, retail, packaging, OOH, radio,

sponsorship, sports marketing, and events.

Prior to joining Shikatani Lacroix, Brendon managed

accounts for top-tier brands, such as Stella Artois, Visa and

P&G, at GMR Marketing and Grip Limited.

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While the digital world is expanding uncontrollably,

packaging, in its most basic sense, remains almost unchanged. Although both are fundamentally different,

there exists a massive need to seamlessly connect a brand’s

touch points across all media. The question that remains is: beyond the base purpose of packaging, how do you

integrate technology?

The world is quickly becoming more portable and therefore

more convenient. Smartphones, tablets, and wearable technology are all becoming extensions of our bodies, and

consequently making our lives more mobile. We must consider where we most commonly interact with

packaging: at the moment of purchase. It’s not likely that

the average person will have access to anything but a mobile device in that moment. Where the two intersect is

where you’ll find the “sweet spot.”

There are several technologies that have come and gone,

and several that are here to stay. Below I’ve outlined a few. The purpose of this article is not to explain how the

technology works (I’ve included handy links for your own personal research), but more of a quick reference guide

about integrating technology with packaging.

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Packaging and

mobile: where the

two intersect is

where you’ll find

the “sweet spot”

#1 QR Codes

You may have seen these around town. Then, all of a

sudden, you didn’t. Unfortunately, QR codes simply did not have the wide adoption that was originally projected. While

being able to contain information within a simple scan

seemed convenient, in reality there were too many barriers that existed. Consumers are more predisposed to enter a

URL in a browser they’re accustomed to, rather than opening a separate application.

If you still feel inclined to use a QR code on your packaging, make sure you do so with the following in mind:

• You’re asking the consumer to use their smartphone, so

make sure the destination is mobile-optimized.

• Despite what some might think, it’s not easier to scan, so make it worth their while. Provide additional incentive for

using the QR code versus a URL.

• QR codes take up a lot of real estate on packaging, so

ensure you’re adding value to the consumer, something

that can’t easily be accomplished via a URL.

• Size matters. Make sure the QR code is large enough to

scan.

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#2 Augmented Reality

Like QR codes, Augmented Reality (AR) has fairly low

penetration in the marketplace. It is, however, very cool. If done well, AR not only can add the “wow factor” to your

brand, but it can even be interactive with the packaging.

Lego has great examples of this, both in-store and at home. Some pointers:

• Some people don’t understand AR—having an in-store

demonstration really helps.

• For similar reasons as above, instead of asking consumers to download an app on their smartphone, an Augmented

Reality in-store installation can remove some of the barriers.

• Don’t expect thousands of visits to your experience.

Instead, plan some media and/or PR around it to get some of this “buzz” you always hear about. That’s where

you’ll find the return.

• Make the AR creative make sense. While it might be fun to

have a gorilla climb your bottle like King Kong on the

Empire State Building, it doesn’t exactly connect or add anything to the brand.

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#3 URLs

While often underestimated, the URL is the easiest, most basic way to digitally integrate your packaging, and the

technology isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. Plain and

simple, if you want consumers to know more about you, you need to direct them to your website. If you tout it, they

will come.

#4 Social Media

There is no right or wrong answer to whether

you should include social media mentions on packaging. It all depends on your brand’s goals.

While it’s not always necessary, if your brand is

actively using social media, and there’s enough room to include it without jeopardizing design,

then add a Facebook or Twitter icon in there. Alternatively, there are some details to consider

before blemishing your designer’s masterpiece:

• Tell the consumer what you want them to do. A blue “F”

or Larry the Bird (yes, that’s its name) can have many alternative calls-to-action: “Follow us,” “Tweet,” “Tell us...”

• Don’t make the consumer jump through hoops. Usually

one request is all you get.

• Make sure to keep your fans or followers interested. After

they complete whatever action you’ve asked them to do, they’ll be looking for something in return.

• If you can, have some way of tracking those who have

read and followed the instructions. Not only is it helpful in measuring your annual KPIs, but it also informs where the

consumer is looking on your packaging.

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#5 Electronic Devices

This category is a free-for-all. There are no rules. If you include an electronic device in your packaging, it’s almost

always a win. Think about how much fun simple musical greeting cards can be. The key is to be new and different.

Heineken lends a great example with their flashing light technology. While they’re not the first to have implemented

this gimmick, they hit the nail on the head in terms of integrating with the surroundings. It has different flash

settings for when it’s at rest, when you’re drinking, and

when you cheers with another bottle. It can also be remotely activated to flash in time with music. With this

wireless element, there are so many more possibilities for the technology.

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#6 NFC

While it’s still in its infancy in terms of market penetration,

there remains a massive amount of opportunity for near-field communication. In time, this will require little to no

effort by the consumer, and could ultimately replace the

wallet as we know it today. So how could we integrate this into packaging?

•We could have the product send

pertinent information to our

phones.

•It could alert us when we’re

nearby a product on our shopping list.

•It could even record our purchase

habits to provide us with a more personalized shopping experience.

The future holds many

opportunities. When technologies become standardized and cheaper

to mass produce, the possibilities are endless and packaging will be a unique experience for

each individual. Brands will only show us what they want us

to see, and it will look completely different for the next person walking down the aisle. It’s both exciting and

daunting. We’ll have boundless opportunity, but how will a single brand differentiate itself? It only forces us to be more

creative and more innovative as we progress. So the

questions is: where will it go next?

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Reference materials

QRStuff.com - What’s a QR Code?http://www.qrstuff.com/qr_codes.html

Wikipedia.org - Augmented realityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality

YouTube.com - Lego Augmented Reality Demohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYNkVKKOxW4

DesignTaxi.com - LEGO Story Builder: Concept

Augmented-Reality App For Kids

http://designtaxi.com/news/356952/LEGO-Story-Builder-

Concept-Augmented-Reality-App-For-Kids/

Mashable.com - Why Is Twitter's Logo Named After Larry

Bird?

http://mashable.com/2012/03/02/twitter-bird-name/

CNET.com - High-tech Heineken bottles light up when you

say 'cheers'

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57579600-1/high-

tech-heineken-bottles-light-up-when-you-say-cheers/

TUAW.com - Apple is silently telling us to stop asking for

near-field communication

http://www.tuaw.com/2013/09/19/apple-is-silently-telling-

us-to-stop-asking-for-near-field-commu/

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For more information contact:

Brendon Sargent, Account Manager

Shikatani Lacroix

387 Richmond Street East

Toronto, Ontario

M5A 1P6

Telephone: 416-367-1999

Email: bsargent@sld.com

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