Item Level Unique QR Codes
Latest trends and Abrio experience
What are item level Unique QR codes
QR codes are popping up nearly everywhere today, from product labels to television programming. In general, these types of QR codes simply link the user to a website page to save people time and avoid errors from typing the URLs. Once in the site, messaging is fairly basic and static, providing information such as overall product highlights or presenting a form to capture contact information to pass along a discount towards a future purchase.
These traditional QR codes can also create challenges for an organization. Using these types of exposed, static codes can lead to integrity and security challenges of duplication and manipulation, especially when used for more focused initiatives, such as product promotions or discounts.
Unique item level QR codes are completely different and new to the U.S. market. With this format, each product item is assigned own Unique QR codes. These QR codes are designed to become a unique identifier for each product item produced in the highly competitive, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, and, in essence, create a true fingerprint for each and every item.
Upon assignment, all information related to a product item can be added or retrieved during its lifecycle. Unique item level QR codes deliver clear product traceability and transparency to support consumers and also provide brands with indispensable consumer behavior information. Equally important, brands can directly connect with consumers, build laser focused marketing strategies and execute more meaningful campaigns and reward programs.
Why use unique item level QR codes
In the FMCG space, brands produce numerous product lines, with the lowest level of management and visibility held at the production batch level. Once these products move to distributors and retailers, batches may be split, and thereby break the chain of visibility and traceability. With unique item level QR codes, brands are able to trace all information related to each item with the data associated with the code during the supply chain life cycle.
Beyond the loss of management and visibility of the product at the point of handoff to distributors and retailers, brands can also miss valuable opportunities to expand product awareness and consumer reach. With unique item level QR codes, brands can enact greater control as the product moves through the supply chain, enabling the execution of marketing strategies with more precise dimensions, including location, distribution partners, retail channels, and even individual consumer profiles.
Unique item level QR codes benefits in Marketing
One of the biggest challenges facing FMCG brands is the lack of direct connection and interaction with consumers. Understanding consumer needs and buying behaviors are the cornerstones of a brand’s success. Unique item level QR codes help brands capitalize on the value of this type of information. Now, each product becomes a bridge to connect with those consumers and enables brands to expand the reach of their marketing programs.
Marketing campaigns are crucial to brand performance, and given the level of investment required to ensure their effectiveness, deploying unique item level QR code provides brands with detailed insights into campaign activity and patterns as they emerge, not simply post campaign completion, to allow you to make dynamic, in process changes to enhance campaign performance.
To expand on the impact of unique item level QR codes, consider the impact of digital marketing today. Digitized marketing is an area that is quickly becoming a popular and meaningful way to augment or even replace offline/onsite marketing campaigns. Most of the offline/onsite marketing activities such as prize drawings and sweepstakes can now be implemented digitally with minimal cost, reduced timelines and less opportunity for human error.
By utilizing unique item level QR Codes brands can also take full advantage of digital rewards programs within their marketing promotions. Today, there are numerous virtual reward scenarios that can be implemented to streamline the reward redemption and delivery process with only a few clicks on the consumer's mobile device.
Common practices in the food industry
Compared to other fast moving consumer products, food product brands have their own unique characteristics and challenges in a highly competitive space. Consumers demand transparency in their food sources. This need for transparency can span from the avoidance of potential allergic reactions to management of their day to day dietary requirements. To add further complexity to this market, food product brands are also under tremendous pressure to produce quickly and with ever increasing volumes, while always ensuring food safety and consistency.
Food brands are proud of their products, from the ingredients selected to the unique processes and procedures utilized to ensure the highest quality possible. These brands are actively searching for the most effective ways to educate their customers, share their company passion and overall mission. At the same time, should a product recall be needed, food brands require a solution that can quickly identify the related products for the brand to promptly resolve the issue in order to minimize impact. Unique item level QR codes have the ability to help address such challenges. With a simple scan of the QR code specifically for the product item, customers gain the knowledge on the exact ingredients used, the manufacturing process, the logistics behind the product's distribution, and any recall related information associated with an item.
Another example of how unique item level QR codes support the requirements of food brands is the organic food industry. Presentation of ingredient sourcing, production location and even the distribution channels utilized are an absolute for these providers. The need for Information is not solely bound by these types of requirements. Other areas of data capture can include geo-specifics for fresh produce or meat production such as average rainfall and sunlight for the area where the crop is produced or dietary details for grass-fed livestock that are raised. By utilizing unique item level QR codes, each item’s code carries with it, full product transparency and traceability to support the specific needs of food companies and their consumers.
Supply chain management at the item level
Supply chain management is the core focus of numerous systems and solutions within a brand, and for good reason, given the cost of bringing a product from creation to distribution.
Depending on the product, the supply chain life cycle can range from straight forward or highly complex. In general, the supply chain can encompass raw materials, manufacturing, warehousing, multi-level distribution, retail storefronts and even returns management. A common practice is to use production batches or purchase orders to manage products across the supply chain, but as batches may be split upon arrival at a distributor or retailer, unique item level QR codes provide the item level management for in depth visibility never before realized.
A great example of the value of unique item level QR codes in the supply chain management arena is the area of stock rotation. First in, first out inventory management is of utmost importance to ensure not only product safety and integrity, but also revenue protection. With the information gained through the use of unique item level codes, tracking of both batch and individual product expiration dates can provide key information to supply chain managers to stay ahead of these time sensitive requirements.
Using unique item level QR codes further support and enhance the efforts of supply chain management tools, capturing information that is sometimes difficult to unveil in the current environment. Companies can shed light on new areas not traditionally seen, to go beyond the transition to store level delivery, such as full supply chain cycle timelines, from production to ultimate consumption. Metrics such as these provide tremendous value and insight to identify issues and cost drivers to facilitate continuous improvement across the organization.