Can packaging become a full-scale data carrier & digital tool? Tetra Pak thinks so

If you were to visit a supermarket and pick up a carton of juice, at first glance it may look like a regular carton containing liquid food. If it is well packaged, then you also assume that it is hygienic all the nutrients are intact. But what beyond that? Well, packaging today has evolved to become more contemporary, and gone much beyond the functional role of keeping food safe. Now, a package has the ability to interact with you as well and in ways that we had never imagined a few years ago. Enabling this future of packaging is Tetra Pak, the world leader in packaging and processing solutions. The company has now piloted 'Smart Packaging'- with unique QR codes placed on every package, giving it its own unique identity. This allows a juice carton to be a full-scale data carrier and a digital tool. This digitalization is helping producers, retailers and consumers in ways that were once unimaginable.

How does Smart Packaging work?
Every Tetra Pak carton can be printed with a special 'unique' digital code. Thanks to this code, one can source information about the product, package etc at various stages of a pack's life. This is no ordinary code and is very different from the static QR codes that have been in the market for the past few years. What we are talking about is a Dynamic QR code. Here's how it's different:

This the first time that Dynamic QR codes for liquid food packaging are being introduced in India making them interactive information channels for producers, manufacturers, retailers, brands and of course, consumers. Smart Packaging opens up a new array of possibilities for F&B brands in terms of efficiencies, savings, efficiency, food safety etc.

Connecting the future food & beverage value chain

Not only has Tetra Pak brought the concept to India but has also invested significantly in developing the capability for code generation. This impressive digital printing technology is delivered through a unique machine which is housed at the company's state-of-the-art facility in Chakan, near Pune (Maharashtra). In fact, Tetra Pak is building the full ecosystem to provide end-to-end backend support, from developing the QR codes to designing apps that help brands gain deeper consumer insights through analytics.

A win-win for the entire value-chain

The producers - With Smart Packaging, producers have been presented an opportunity that'll not only amplify their reach in the digital world, but it'll help them iron out the creases in the manufacturing process, as well as help them have an effective supply chain management system.

Smart Packaging offers end-to-end traceability which can help producers improve their production, have effective control over the quality and make the supply chain process as transparent as possible. A producer is equipped with tools such as the ability to track and trace the history or location of any pack, thus making it possible for them to keep a check on the product's market performance.

Another way producers can benefit from this unique and innovative Smart Packaging is by implementing brand promotions and consumer engagement activities. The package can be an excellent way to implement consumer engagement programmes such as contests, quizzes, videos etc. This way, a consumer feels more connected with the brand as s/he gets a personalised experience.

The retailers - Thanks to the level of transparency Smart Packaging brings, retailers can get better supply chain visibility and real-time insights. This empowers retailers to track stock movements and get alerts when issues occur to monitor delivery performance. By getting the latest manufactured goods and seeing the sales trends, this new packaging system helps a retailer to have better estimates for future orders.

The consumers - Guess who gets the maximum benefits from this innovation. The consumers. Smart Packaging can allow the end-users to get information such as- the authenticity of a brand and also unlocks cool new product experiences. The user will just need to scan the Dynamic QR code via their smartphones to access information such as - where and when the product was made, including information about the farm from where the brand sourced the ingredients. In fact, Smart Packaging can also help environment-conscious consumers locate the nearest recycling centre.

Consumers can participate in promotions, product origin stories, loyalty campaigns, quizzes, online games… well, the list is endless here. And the Dynamic QR Codes ensure that the experience is a personalised one- the brand is talking to the individual, and not to a group or demographic as is the case with static codes.
Now that's what we'd like to call future-ready!

The India Connection

Over 30 years of partnering the best brands in the country, Tetra Pak continues to do what it does best- build the future. It is the first one to bring Smart Packaging to our shores, and with such innovations, Tetra Pak is helping all stakeholders - the producers, retailers and most importantly consumers to take a step towards the future of endless possibilities in a more connected world.