Smart Barcode Technology

Smart Barcode Technology The integration of “smart” technology into packaging formats has been seen as the panacea for marketers for some time now. Whilst bridging the gap between a purchased item and the connectivity and wealth of information for the consumer provided by ‘the cloud’, the brand also benefits from a highly cost effective opportunity to harvest consumer data. We live in a world where a large proportion of consumers carry powerful handheld computers that (almost) never power-down; for many these devices may as well be grafted onto their hands. It’s advantageous therefore, when trying to augment an item (via packaging or otherwise) to utilise these devices to do as much of the work as possible. Utilisation of Smarter Barcodes technology is one route. This technology has the ability to augment any product, requiring no technology additions, zero artwork changes, cost effective implementation whilst providing real-time response to market changes; the phone and internet does all of the work. Smarter Barcodes take advantage of the standard retail barcodes already present on most packaging items to identify the item, and through the app, connects the customer via a secure two-way communication portal where the customer can access content the company wishes to provide; help and instructional videos, feedback forms, ‘purchase again’ buttons, promotional coupons, reminders for taking medicine and more! Within the secure communication channel, metadata is gathered; who scanned what, when, the content accessed, location of the scan, user demographic and all the other ‘big data’ which can be aggregated down by brands to create solid product improvement and enhanced marketing strategies. But how does it compare to existing smart packaging solutions out there right now? The table below provides an evaluation of the Smarter Barcode technology vs. other smart technologies.