Smart packaging is everywhere today, largely thanks to improvements in inventory and supply chain management. Digital identities like QR Codes are imprinted onto boxes, wrapping, and cartons of every variety to make them easier to identify and track.
But inventory management isn’t the only perk of QR Codes for a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company.
Some of the biggest CPG companies in the world use QR Codes on product packaging, promo materials, and digital materials to market their brand. What’s more, they can be used to tie in efforts from your larger campaigns.
QR Codes for consumer packaged goods can showcase the marketing team’s creativity while improving the consumer experience. The right tactics can help brands engage with customers, inspire repeat buys, and increase customer loyalty.
If you want to know how to use QR Codes for CPG brands, read on—we’ll look at how they work and how they fit into your bigger strategy.
Note: Brand examples highlighted below were found during our online research.
Understanding QR Codes in the CPG Context
QR Codes are composed of black-and-white squares. These unique codes link to digital assets via URL, such as PDFs, website landing pages, personal portfolios, online profiles, and limitless others.
CPG companies may use custom QR Codes to both communicate with the customer and collect data. For instance, a customer might scan a QR Code that takes them to a brief feedback form via URL to confirm their package was delivered. Or they might scan a QR Code to read the online user manual of the product so they know how to put the pieces together.
Customers may not necessarily expect QR Codes from CPG companies, but they recognize and appreciate when companies go the extra mile.
CPG companies can use QR Codes not just on packaging but on any number of digital or physical assets. When customers have questions about a consumer packaged good—whether it’s related to pricing, rebates, dimensions, ingredients, safety, testing, etc.—a QR Code can direct them to websites with answers with just a quick scan.
Many huge brands have used QR Codes to inform and entertain. For instance, Pepsi famously ran a summer campaign in 2019 with QR Codes on Pepsi bottles. These codes connected to augmented reality (AR) photo filters and digital stickers for Instagram. The summertime photos were unified by a common hashtag and sassy captions, resulting in free advertising across the social media platform.
Pepsi also collaborated with rapper Bad Bunny in 2023. During this campaign, Pepsi printed QR Codes on bottles, where customers could access Apple Music or enter to win Beats by Dre headphones, Pepsi merchandise, or travel to Apple Music Live Events. When most people already associate the magic of summertime with a frosty beverage, these seasonal campaigns saw major traction.
Jameson Irish Whiskey used QR Codes on its limited-edition bottles. The code took customers to an interactive website where they could design a label for the bottle. The winners received their own personalized bottles with their creations brought to life. Jameson Whiskey also printed two QR Codes on its Barrelman bottles. The front QR Code linked to Jameson Connects music and content, and the back QR Code linked to nutritional information.
Top benefits of QR Codes for CPG companies
QR Codes are a way to bridge the gap between physical and digital worlds. When the default for most people is to go online for more information, QR Codes fill that space. We’ll look at the major benefits of QR Codes and how they improve the relationship between a company and its customers.
Increased customer engagement
If you’re wondering how to get repeat CPG sales, QR Codes on consumer packaging serve as an immediate invitation to the customer. A marketing team might use them to provide more information about a product, company, or larger cause.
For instance, if you sell ethically made shoes, you might print a QR Code that links to a page on your website that explains how the workers benefit from better wages. You can also consider financial incentives to engage with the customer. For instance, a QR Code marketing strategy might offer a small discount for their next purchase or even a small rebate off the purchased item.
Improved product information delivery
Product information may include details about how the product was made, suggestions on how to use it, or an exploration of its benefits. Consider making the information or offers exclusive to the customer, so it’s an additional incentive to purchase from the brand again. For instance, you might use a QR Code to provide additional recommendations not found on your website.
Accurate and detailed product information is key to forging trust between a customer and the brand. QR Codes may also reduce your liability, as customers can easily verify the safety information of the product. QR Codes can store up to 3 KB of data, so you don’t have to pick and choose what to share.
Enhanced feedback mechanisms
It’s normal for companies to ask for feedback today, but it’s also normal for customers to ignore or forget about the request. When a customer opens a package, you typically have their full and undivided attention. It’s a prime opportunity to make a request—particularly if their answers will result in real change.
Use QR Codes to take customers directly to a URL linked with a survey, form, or email template where they can share their thoughts. If you’ve been struggling to attract repeat customers or overall interest, QR Codes may motivate them to speak up.
How to develop a QR Code strategy for CPG companies
A QR Code strategy for CPG companies may vary based on the brand and its target demographic. We’ll look at how to identify goals, where to place the codes, and how to tie it all into your bigger campaigns.
Identifying objectives
Your QR Codes should have measurable, clear objectives based on the core goals of the company. These might include brand awareness, higher sales, customer retention, lead generation, decreased churn, or increased customer value.
From there, you can see what actions the customer took. If you have multiple objectives, they should be ranked. For instance, let’s say you offer a 5% discount on a customer’s next purchase if they fill out a feedback form. In this case, maybe the primary goal is for 30% of customers to fill out the form, while your secondary goal is for 10% repeat buys.
Creative implementation
No matter what CPG industry you’re in, there are endless opportunities to be creative with your strategies. Use cases may include packaging, prints, ads, promotional materials, or in-store displays, all of which give you different directions to take your customer experience.
It starts with identifying what a customer needs. For instance, an e-commerce supplement provider might print QR Codes on packaging that show third-party lab results so customers can verify the product is safe. Or you could print QR Codes on physical coupons for a detergent that links to information about its potential allergens.
For consumer packaged goods that aren’t strict necessities, such as snack foods or alcohol, there’s more wiggle room. For instance, the marketers at Miller Lite incentivized community-building with QR Codes at local watering holes. With its Dark Can campaign, customers scanned a code on a table tent and placed their phones down for 30 minutes. Once the timer went off, they received a free can of Miller Lite.
You can also consider linking QR Codes to multimedia content, like videos or interactive websites, in real time. For instance, you might run a campaign where customers can see how to make a recipe using a specific ingredient. Or you might link a QR Code to a horizontal scrolling section, where customers can see a brand story or how their purchased product went from idea to reality.
Integration with marketing campaigns
QR Codes for CPG brands should have a clear connection to your brand. They’re more likely to stick with customers if they’re integrated with your bigger campaigns.
So if a brand’s cornerstone is its heavy-duty materials, marketers might run TV commercials and radio ads that all speak to or show why the materials are so tough. Its magazine ads and website would have sections about the product’s unique assembly.
When adding QR Codes, they might link a file on the product packaging to a site about how materials are harvested. These are complementary efforts that reinforce to a customer the unique attributes of the brand.
The key is not necessarily reiterating the same slogan, but presenting new and interesting facets of either a single product or the brand’s larger catalog. This way, it’s more likely the customer will remember the benefits of the company the next time they interact with it.
Tips for measuring success with Bitly solutions
When you use Bitly’s Dynamic QR Code Generator, you do more than create black-and-white squares. Our Analytics solution tracks key metrics, including scans over time, scans by referrer, top performing scans, and scans by location.
Our instant updates and user-friendly dashboard eliminate the need for complicated tracking or analytic tools. Plus, Bitly’s library has more than 800 integrations to add QR Codes to your software and apps.
Our generator is especially useful for A/B testing. So if you want to test engagement metrics based on the size, placement, or design of the QR Code, you can distinguish the campaigns to see which strategy has the best returns.
We also offer 2D Barcodes that are GS1 compliant and contain the product’s Global Trade Item Number. This makes it possible for people to scan the product at checkout without a barcode reader for better inventory management. Brands can also use these 2D Barcodes to link to websites, files, or videos for customer engagement, in the same way a QR Code can.
Unlock the future of CPG marketing with QR Codes
The CPG marketing of the future will focus on consumer engagement rather than straight sales. If brand loyalty is the ultimate goal, QR Codes can be a central part of your initiatives. They are a call-to-action that customers both understand and use. It’s a touchpoint that can further cement your CPG brand.
With Bitly’s QR Code Generator, you can easily create, manage, and analyze the results of your campaigns. This instrumental data is not only key to better campaigns; the responses can also help you anticipate changing consumer needs in the future.
Are you ready to take a big step into the future? Set up a free Bitly account to see how you can integrate the tools into your CPG marketing efforts!