On March 26th, Jennifer joined a panellist of experts on the discussion of 'Integrating Connected Packaging For Effective Packaging Design' organised by Appetite Creative.
So what are the best practices in packaging design for QR Codes?
How effective are QR Codes on pack?
QR Codes are used for many reasons, but in recent years we have seen a high influx of brands utilising QR codes on their packaging, but why?
- QR Codes provide essential data for future marketing campaigns, they help you understand your consumers better by knowing your customer profiles, buying behaviour and preferences - this type of information is great to have when planning effective brand strategies.
- Brands should always be looking for ways to improve, this could be through product taste or just simply doing business a tad bit better for your consumers. A common strategy many brands are dipping into is offering incentives to their customers in return for their feedback e.g. 'Scan this QR code to receive a gift'.
- It helps encourage consumer engagement through competitions, product demonstrations, staying connected with like-minded communities, offers alternative methods to paperless manual instructions and many more.
Recommended strategies for crafting CTAs (call-to-action) that are both catchy and aligned with a brand's message
Be on brand! QR Codes can be designed in many ways and don't need to be your standard square two-dimensional matrix barcode. Often many brands design QR codes that stay on brand or are related to their product.
Nestlé who owns Kit Kat is a great example of a brand that utilises its brand messaging within their QR code. Holding onto its iconic tagline "Have a break, have a Kit Kat", the brand was able to run a ‘Have a break have a KitKat’ campaign that helped promote the use of QR codes when scanned, which links to videos on YouTube to help their customers be entertained.
The importance of storytelling in creating compelling connected experiences through packaging design
Brands should continue to keep their customers engaged beyond the QR code. Firstly, by staying on brand and keeping all content relevant to the call-to-action button. What brands shouldn't do is sound like a "third-party" website, your customers will disengage very quickly!
How can brands ensure that their CTAs (call-to-action) provide value to consumers and motivate them to take action?
LEGO® is another brand that paves the way for utilising QR codes correctly. Whilst the traditional methods of having printed instruction manual books inside still exist, LEGO® has integrated their QR code with the LEGO® Builder app offering LEGO® Insiders 20 points as an incentive. Maybe we can learn something from LEGO®?
