Discussion

By David Richter on Jun 16, 2022

As someone who, for the last decade, has been saying that packaging will be one of the last physical print products standing (besides advertising, though you could argue one is sort of a subset of the other), I like this idea... I'm just not totally sold on its execution.

The idea of "connected" packaging is neat, but... what was proposed in the video can be done today by anyone. If I'm understanding this correctly, there's nothing proprietary in this concept. Landing page services and QR code generators are everywhere (and even without those services they're both pretty easy to make). In fact, I've been doing this exact thing for my own company's event materials for years now (BTW: nobody scans the codes, at least not ppl in our demo, but I still do it because I like the idea).

I was thinking of something like RFID-type tech that actually has info about THAT specific package (and the product in general) - date/location/operator/etc.. like a more detailed "inspected by" tag that could also include cross-promotional info and links to websites, etc... and perhaps even some AR tech - for at least the last decade there had been research into low cost augmented reality and RFID applications for logistics items visualization.

As it stands now, this is effectively no different from putting a URL on the packaging... a URL that your phone can read so you don't have to type it. I mean, that's nice and all, but... kinda already old news... and, IMO, falls short of the what the concept of "connected" packaging could be.

By Carl Joachim on Jun 16, 2022

David, thanks for your commentary and I agree that various ways to enable connected goods have been in play for some time. A lot of what youre referring to can be done with static codes, and we offer that plus the abilty to serialize, which you need VDP for. What we are trying to do is bring connected packaging functionality in an affordable way to small and medium size brands, while providing an upgrade path to leverage serialization and advanced services through ePacConnect. We see many large brands doing things with serialized connected packaging, but at price points that far exceed what a smaller brand can afford. They understand the power of it, they just need help in getting into the game. Happy to set up a call to give you a full briefing and then get your comments.

By David L. Zwang on Jun 17, 2022

Hi David, I would agree that RFID tech would ultimately be a better solution, but it really isn't only about the tech. It is about engagement, or lack of, as you pointed out in your comment. That engagement can be in the form of availability, as in the case of early UPC implementations that required unique apps for each one, or it could be in enticing people to go to the camera today to scan the more ubiquitous UPC with a built in phone function. Packaging offers a unique opportunity for UPC engagement, and serialization even more.