Big interview
TS MR
In what ways do you think mobile technologies will contribute to the technological revolutions going on in packaging at the moment?
One of the areas we’ll see growth is consumers using crowdsourcing to share information and opinions about packaged goods. Another area is feeding consumer insights back to CPGs more quickly and cheaply than before, helping them do better testing and research. Another prospect is using near field communication to have the package talking to you as walk past the shelf. There will be all sorts of developments as sensor technologies, etc. evolve. Augmented reality is also being used to create novel effects, for example seeing a band play if you point your device at a snack package. At Microsoft’s retail experience centre I saw clever use of AR that revolved around ‘trying on’ different virtual clothes.
TS
There is the further possibility of tying in the use of mobile technologies with the kind of mass-customisation we have been discussing, isn’t there? For instance, with a mobile device you could have that souvenir football cup springing to life and showing video of the winning goal…
MR
When you put all of these different technological advances together almost anything is possible. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. In fact, there are so many things going on in packaging right now, so many tipping points, that it is a real challenge to work out which opportunities to invest in. There are too many places to go, meaning companies need to work out the right things for them to focus on. There are risks involved with making the wrong choices. Foresight is key. Our Future of Packaging work, which we carry out every three years, brings together our best packaging and technology thinking with experts from Leading Futurists. First we try to envisage general future changes, then apply those lessons to the implications for packaging. With so many things happening in packaging a company needs to carefully align its strategy. The task is to work out the smartest places to play in order to build the right packaging portfolio that minimises risk and maximises opportunity. Packaging Europe | 31 |