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When I was working on an article a few weeks ago, I did quite a bit of research into cross media and everything it entails. (Early word of warning – although the idea of cross media is easy to get your head around, the wide range of opinions on its advantages, best way to measure ROI and so forth could keep you busy for more than a while!)
Part of my research included wandering through my local supermarket to look at how brands are using packaging to interact with consumers and gather data.
Now, perhaps the start of the summer is not the best time to run a campaign, but to be honest, I was disappointed with the lack of opportunities I could find to interact with most brands through their packaging. And I’m no specialist consumer marketer, but can immediately think of a number of ways they can use the packaging of their products to draw a response from me!
For the three or four promotions on boxes, wrappers or foils – and this is not just down the sweets aisle, but casting my eyes over the products throughout the store – I couldn’t find one that was using a QR code, some sort of augmented reality or promoting an app that can be downloaded on a smartphone or tablet. Yes, some of the packaging directs the consumer to a website for more information, at best perhaps a Facebook page to like, but nothing else that would drive me to grab my iphone and start interacting straight away.
Like I said; perhaps it’s just the time of year and I’ll certainly be doing a detailed round in the grocery stores to see if it changes during the run-up to Christmas. In the mean time, I’ll try these cherries while making the most of the longer days while I still can. Oh, wait –I’ve just found a leaflet at the bottom of the pack with a QR code to scan for more info on the origin of the cherries, a Facebook page to take part in competitions, and a Twitter feed to follow! Now, that’s more like it!
I look forward to seeing how more and more brands will embrace the concept of pushing out their messages across a range of different channels. For a lot of them, the cross media world is still their oyster!