Next Generation Hang-Tags are Smart
So far, hang-tags fulfilled the purpose of promoting special offers, launching new products, and enhancing a brand’s identity. As such they constitute a key means of packaging and marketing and are well-known to consumers. But what if their purpose could be extended in a way that matches the trend of personalized consumer communications? For instance, by presenting consumers an already familiar marketing tool – thus lowering the barrier-to-entry – while offering extra service?
Together, Thinfilm, a leader in near field communication (NFC) smart packaging solutions using printed electronics, and Bedford Industries, a manufacturer of identification tags, will tackle this opportunity; the later providing the tags, the former the printing technology.
What will be the outcome is a smart hang-tag which enables brands – via a cloud-based software platform – to deliver one-to-one product and brand experience to their costumers’ smartphones. From instant-reorder to loyalty program integration, “how to” instructions, customer reviews, surveys, or user registration: The possibilities for brands to capture attention at the point of sale (POS) seem endless. And the functionality is not just simple but brilliant: Once the NFC-enabled smartphone is tapped, tag and cloud connect, allowing brands to instantly deliver product information and other relevant content to their consumers.
A Promising Cooperation
It is the integration of Thinfilm’s SpeedTapTM technology into Bedford’s ElastiTag®, which raises brand and consumer interaction at the POS by offering new ways to connect consumers with products. “Many of the world’s leading consumer packaged goods companies rely on Bedford’s ElastiTag® to help drive engagement with retail shoppers,“ says Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm. “We’re very excited about the role NFC SpeedTapTM technology is playing in creating a smart version of the ElastiTag® product and look forward to bringing value to Bedford’s existing and future CPG relationships.”