Product digitization is the process of transforming physical products into digital entities. It is a powerful tool for businesses in today’s increasingly digital world. This transformation provides a whole new level of intelligence and insights about the product, enabling brands to stay ahead of their competitors by offering a more personalised experience tailored to customer needs. Product digitization also allows businesses to be better prepared for future market changes, as it enables them to access more data and analytics about their products.
We have partnered with Silo, our product data & insights partner, and Digimarc, our chosen global platform partner, to bring connected and digitized packaging to retailers & brands in South Africa.
For retail, brand, marketing and packaging executives, the value of product digitisation lies in unlocking the power of data to create more engaging, precision & personalised customer experiences. Through AI-driven insights, companies can better understand their customers’ needs, deliver more meaningful content across channels, and ensure their products stand out in the eCommerce landscape. By opening up a whole new world of customer insights, companies can also improve product development decisions and create more effective campaigns that boost ROI.
Digitization is reshaping the modern consumer journey, businesses and brands must stay ahead of the curve if they want to remain competitive.
Here are five ways product digitization will help your business:
- Item-level tracking via serialised digital identities for greater precision.
- Anytime, anywhere access to centralised product intelligence, which provides a window into the digital world that digitised products inhabit by recording every interaction.
- Direct, brand-owned communications channel, meeting consumer demands for digital experiences and unlocking all the information consumer’s desire.
- Automated processes and workflows triggered off real-time product data, allowing products to have intelligent interactions in the digital world.
- Common ecosystem of interoperable applications for new capabilities and collaborating with partners.
Creating a digital twin of your product can help your brand in several ways:
- Increased visibility and control: With a digital twin, you can monitor the lifecycle of your product, from production to shipping, storage, and use. This can provide valuable insights into product performance and help you make data-driven decisions – even for marketing (e.g. Based on the weather conditions at a particular time in a particular location).
- Enhanced customer experience & content: By incorporating smart and connected technologies into your packaging, you can provide customers with interactive and personalized experiences. For example, you can use augmented reality, gamification or other digital technologies to provide additional product information, such as nutritional information or usage instructions.
- Improved supply chain efficiency: By using a digital twin to track your product throughout its lifecycle, you can optimize your supply chain and reduce waste. For example, you can use real-time data to detect potential issues early and respond quickly, or to monitor and optimize the conditions under which your products are stored. Think about product recalls and other use cases.
- Increased brand loyalty: By providing customers with a unique and interactive experience, you can build brand loyalty and increase customer satisfaction. You can reward consumers and keep them coming back to either your brick and mortar or online store. Everyone love an incentive or reward. Additionally, by demonstrating your commitment to innovation and sustainability, you can enhance your brand’s reputation.
Overall, creating a digital twin of your product can help you gain greater visibility, control, and efficiency over your operations, while also improving your customer experience and building brand loyalty.
We are working closely with GS1 & Silo to bring the best product experiences to life that are trusted, verified, authentic & experiential. We gathering new data of how consumers are engaging with your products to better serve your consumers in South Africa.
Investing in product digitization could be the key to your company’s success in the fast-paced digital age we live in. The 2D barcode revolution is coming, best we be prepared.
Are you a company looking to enhance your packaging with digital technology? If so, then we have the perfect solution for you – Smartpack™. Reach out to us at www.smartpack.global or email [email protected] and let’s start the journey towards revolutionizing your packaging!
By Chantal Donnelly
GM – Digital – Hirt & Carter Digital – SmartPack™