How CPG Brands Can Extend Engagement and Create Loyalty Beyond the Sale With Connected Products

Generate better value with connected products

October 21, 2022

It’s easy for CPG brands to find ways to connect to consumers through marketing and packaging appeal pre-purchase and during a purchase. However, how do brands continue to connect with consumers and build brand loyalty post-purchase?

The post-purchase sector is an under-tapped area for companies to extend engagement and build brand loyalty.

To boost brand loyalty, companies need to focus on post-purchase engagement. Here’s how CPG companies can extend engagement and build consumer loyalty.

Going Beyond a Label

With traditional labels, CPG brands are limited to the physical space on the product package.

Connected labels empower you to go above and beyond brand, nutrition and product information with:

Instructions: Rather than printing instructions on a package, teach consumers how to cook, bake or mix your product with connecting technologies. Or go above and beyond traditional cooking instructions and offer videos tutorials.

Brand and Product Story: Connected products empower you to go beyond the label to share your unique brand story. Or share the special story behind that specific product. Especially for CPG brands producing millions of physically smaller products, this empowers them to take the extra step and really connect with consumers to tell stories.

Direct Connections with Consumers

For CPG brands that primarily rely on retailers for product sales, it can be challenging to foster direct connections with consumers.

In traditional retail sales, the brand must use appealing marketing, packaging, social media, and other methods in an attempt to connect with consumers. However, that’s no longer the case. Connected packaging empowers brands to bypass all other channels — and directly connect with consumers.

Each product becomes a direct communication channel for brands to build connections.

In this direct communication channel, brands are empowered to:

  • Sell directly to consumers
  • Promote repeat purchases and upsell with product recommendations
  • Foster continued connections with loyalty programs
  • And more

Encourage Purchases With Recommendations and Reminders

With connected products, each individual item becomes a point of sale. For food and beverage brands, this means that connectivity doesn’t stop after a consumer goes home with the product.

  • Encourage Product Upsells: Whether it’s a larger size, a larger quantity, or a premium version of a product they already have, upsell product purchases.
  • Recommend Products: Show consumers product recommendations based on the item they scan and past purchases.
  • Encourage Reorders: Send consumers reminders to reorder and encourage repeat purchases.

More Effective Loyalty Programs

Gone are the days of lackluster, hard-to-access, difficult-to-follow loyalty programs. With connected products, integrated and engaging loyalty programs are here.

  • Coupons and Direct Offers: Brands are empowered to encourage repeat and larger purchases with coupons and other offers offered through a scan.
  • Gamification Experiences: Incentivize consumers to “collect all variations” of an item or encourage them to make multiple purchases with the possibility of prizes and larger rewards.
  • Exclusive Content: Encourage sales with exclusive content unlocked only after making a purchase.
  • Points for Purchases: Offer milestones with redeemable rewards and coupons after earning points on each purchase.
  • And More: Whether it’s behind-the-scenes on your brand, personalized recommendations based on their past purchases, or another way you appeal to them, connected products empower brands with the most effective and engaging loyalty programs.

And best of all, with connected products, you don’t have to limit yourself and consumers to one form of loyalty program. Integrate different methods to appeal to consumers and incentivize repeat purchases.

Easier Safety and Recalls

Whether it’s due to a bacteria outbreak on produce or another issue that stems from a manufacturing facility, brands must be swift and transparent when issuing product recalls.

Incorrect or slow handling of a product recall can damage brand loyalty.

Consumers may find it cumbersome and confusing to figure out which set of numbers on a product is the needed code to identify the recalled group of products. On top of trying to identify if a product was in a specific recalled batch group, it can be overwhelming and confusing for consumers to try and figure out what to do with a recalled product.

With connected products, however, a simple scan can tell consumers if the product they have was in an affected batch and what steps they can take to get a replacement.

Quality Guarantee and Customer Contact

An essential component of building brand loyalty is ensuring customer happiness. Traditional brand labels leave little room for quality guarantees and ways consumers can get in touch with your brand if they have concerns.

  • What happens if a consumer gets a stale batch of crackers?
  • What if they have an issue with the sparkling water they purchased from your brand?

Connected products mean, with a simple scan, consumers have an easy way to reach out to your company. Direct them to specific forms, emails or other forms of contact to get in touch with your brand — then, you can take steps to ensure their happiness.

Gain Powerful First- and Zero-Party Data

And the added value is not just for the consumer. Brands gather first- and zero-party data by learning directly how consumers interact with their Experience, site, and app.

Zero-party data tells brands directly what consumers want and what they’re shopping for.

This can include:

  • Preference centers
  • Customer shopping intentions
  • Surveys and polls
  • How consumers interact with digital experiences
  • And more

Brands gather this data directly from consumers using connected products have the most accurate, effective data to tailor their approach to connect with customers and build stronger relationships.

Share Sustainability Initiatives

As consumers increasingly push for brands to become more sustainable — and be transparent about their practices — connected products empower companies to show consumers how everyone can play a role in the circular economy.

Recycling Instructions: Whether your packaging is glass, cardboard, or plastic, show consumers how they can recycle it.

Composting Steps: If part of your product or packaging is compostable, show consumers if they need to break it down or if it can be composted as-is.

Show Your Brand’s Circularity Efforts: Give consumers the transparency they value by showing supply chain impacts and the steps your company takes to offset any negative environmental impacts.

Encourage Best Sustainable Practices: Share other sustainability initiatives from your brands, encourage consumers to pledge to reduce food waste and reuse boxes or packaging when possible, and encourage them to make mindful changes that support sustainability efforts from your brands.

NEXT STEPS

Get the Guide

Download our report on why innovative brands are using connected products as part of the New Marketing Model and learn:

  • Why 57% of consumers say they are more likely to buy a product if they are able to engage with connected packaging.
  • How to finally deliver the right message to the right consumer at the right time with connected products and the New CPG Marketing Model.
  • Much more!

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