We’ve seen the potential in smart luxury packaging for some time. Near Field Communication (NFC) technology when combined with packaged branded product brings unmatchable connection between brands and consumers around a ‘big data’ framework. It might well drive a revolution in packaged brands – merging the boundaries between physical product and digital marketing.

ThinFilm’s NFC technology, as the name suggests, is housed in a very thin microchip label. So thin it can be embedded into the lightest cardboard in luxury secondary packaging, with very little impact on existing production. The potential could be massive as brands grasp NFC’s capacity to manage one-to-one conversations with consumers through smartphones, whilst gathering powerful data, at any point in the consumption cycle.

Hunter’s exclusive relationship with Thinfilm is helping luxury brand owners, across a number of categories, appraise NFC’s capacity to revolutionise the customer journey and the advantages that may bring, including:

• NFC technology with an almost invisible profile for luxury secondary packaging allows consumers to interact with packaged brands in new and exciting ways.
• Broad and interactive brand marketing instantly accessed through smartphones.
• Greater engagement rate and deeper engagement across the relationship lifecycle.
• Brands own the data and don’t require 3rd party data from social or search.
• Consumers are delighted through new and innovative experiences.
• Brands have total control of campaigns with the ability to make dynamic changes at any point.
• Connecting with the smartphone literate millennial generation – critical to luxury brand growth.
• True consumer journey campaigns can sequence the brand story from retail to consumption, deepening product knowledge, enhancing consumption experiences and incentivising repeat purchase and advocacy.

Consumer education and uptake of smart NFC technology is nearing a tipping point and could be set to revolutionise the branded packaging industry. Alongside many other industries heading into the “4th Industrial revolution” through embedded technology, in just 5 years from now, packaging’s position in the communications mix could change forever. Hunter and Thinfilm have developed luxury smart packaging that allows brands to access the potential right now; allowing brands to explore and experiment in an area that might just be a game changer.

Hunter presented smart luxury packaging at Luxury Packaging (Olympia) London in September 2018 and we’re rolling out induction meetings for clients wanting to discover how packaging and digital marketing can work for their brands. These inductions cover, brand communications, supply chain and costing models, along with prototype demonstrations to give clients hands-on access.

If you would like to know more about Hunter Luxury & Thinfilm, please contact paulhamilton@hunterluxury.com to arrange an induction session.

More information on Thinfilm can be found here.