The billions of US products equipped with the Consumer Brands
Association’s (CBA) SmartLabel represent a huge
opportunity for brands. With customers caring increasingly about the stories
behind their purchases, many should be eager to scan a QR code (or search the
web) to learn about them.
But consumer involvement, while encouraging, still has a way to go. With
engagement levels still low, SmartLabels are something of a sleeping giant. So,
where’s the tipping point to awaken their full potential? How do we really drive
that desire to engage?
Bridging the engagement gap
SmartLabels have always had the potential to change the way customers interact
with products. We know there’s a demand for transparency, and they inhabit
valuable real estate on packaging. So, it seems that the answer to making this
more attractive lies in the consumer experience.
At the core of the issue is the static nature of interacting with SmartLabels.
Scan a product today, and you’ll mostly see basic information such as nutrition
facts and ingredients. You won’t necessarily get the opportunity to actually
engage with the brand to understand things such as the history of the product or
the origin story of the company.
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There’s a lack of connected data that tells the story of how a product came to
be — from the original materials to the manufacturing plant, and the journey to
the retail shelf.
A new partnership with SmartLabel
With over 100,000 product lines across the US adorned with its technology,
SmartLabel has now partnered with Avery Dennison’s atma.io connected
product
cloud
— making it only one of three platforms that are part of CBA’s preferred partner
network (PPN). The consumer experience with SmartLabels now has the potential to
be turbocharged.
atma.io aims to turn SmartLabels into compelling
consumer experiences, adding a host of exciting use cases. Brands can upload
their product information onto the atma.io platform, choose from a gallery of
SmartLabel templates, and even set rules for dynamic consumer experiences based
on unique QR codes.
Instead of viewing a product line’s basic information, customers can see the
individual story of the exact, unique item they’re holding. They’ll be able to
connect with loyalty programs, automatically reorder, see related items, and
check out gifting options — unlocking endless possibilities for brand and
product interactions. Two customer questions can then be answered: “What’s the
story behind this product?” and “What’s in it for me?”
Writing the story, not reporting it
The atma.io platform is also looking upstream to increase supply chain
transparency. The digital triggers themselves can be scanned, read and
interacted with; and then that will create a new tracking event in the supply
chain. This not only contributes to a detailed sustainability story but also
enhances inventory accuracy, reducing chargebacks between retailers and brands.
Rather than just a storytelling device, the SmartLabel becomes a part of the
supply chain itself; brands can utilize it as an enabler for sustainable
practices. Imagine first scanning a product to find out how it was made, then
scanning it again later on to see information on end-of-life recycling and how
you can pass it on responsibly.
The atma.io platform also surfaces extremely useful primary data that brands
would normally miss out on — including valuable information on how customers
interact with products, across geographies and product categories.
Image credit: Avery Dennison
A smart way to comply
While the immediate advantages are in broadening engagement, the partnership
also sets the stage for future compliance opportunities. With upcoming
regulations such as Europe’s Packaging and Packaging Waste
Directive,
SmartLabels could evolve to become an even more useful tool for compliance and
sustainability.
As similar regulations make their way across the Atlantic, brands will find
themselves under increasing pressure to adhere to new compliance standards. The
SmartLabel, once a mere window into basic product information, could become a
critical asset in this process. Through integrating connected supply chain data
with tracking and reporting, brands can proactively address compliance issues,
from waste reduction to ethical sourcing — positioning them ahead of the
regulatory curve and enhancing their reputation for transparency and
responsibility.
“The partnership between atma.io by Avery Dennison and SmartLabel is more than
just a technological collaboration; it's a vision for the future of consumer
engagement, compliance and personalization. Once you get the QR code on the
product, you can then turn that into an infinite number of possibilities for
brands to unlock additional use cases through connected packaging,” says Rishi
Banerjee, Senior Director of SmartLabel
at Consumer Brands Association.
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As Vice President, Digital Solutions, Max leads Avery Dennison’s digital solutions strategic innovation platform, which brings together all of Avery Dennison’s digital solutions initiatives including the atma.io connected product cloud. Max joined Avery Dennison in 2017 to launch Avery Dennison's corporate venture capital (CVC) program and currently serves on the boards of directors of three of Avery Dennison’s CVC portfolio companies.
Before joining Avery Dennison, Max was co-founder and CEO of NuLabel Technologies (acquired by Altana), a new materials startup developing activatable materials and sustainable solutions for brands and the packaging industry.
Max has served on the Venture for America Entrepreneur Board and has also been named to the 30 Under 30 lists for Forbes (2015) and Inc.com (2016). Immediately before founding NuLabel, Max graduated with a degree in Political Science from Brown University.
Published Oct 25, 2023 11am EDT / 8am PDT / 4pm BST / 5pm CEST