Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
PackagingSustainabilityLatest headlines

Tetra Pak highlights need for AR, digital packaging

Tetra Pak 2017 Index shows why augmented reality, digital technology and online “super leaders” are so important to the future of packaging.

By Crystal Lindell
Tetra Pak
Packaging can become a gateway to generate interaction, with the use of use of augmented reality and digital codes printed on packages improving transparency of traceability, allowing consumers to access information about the product right down to the source. Source: Tetra Pak.
September 13, 2017

When it comes to social media influencers, the best people for brands to engage probably aren’t the ones with 100,000 followers on Twitter. In fact, it’s the people with closer to 1,000 followers that will likely be more helpful.

That’s according to a new report from Tetra Pak, which just released its Tetra Pak 2017 Index. The research focuses on “super leaders,” a newly-defined digital community of early adopters and brand amplifiers. And it encourages brands to focus their digital strategies, including packaging, on engaging this new generation of influencers.

Alexandre Carvalho, director marketing services at Tetra Pak, says about 7 percent of connected consumers could be considered “super leaders.”

“It’s a segment that really wants to connect with brands,” he explains. “They are willing to have this active presence online. They are vocal, they really do a lot of product and service reviews and they have high expectations about how brands interacts — they expect those brands to reply.”

The study showed that super leaders differ from social media influencers, who typically have huge social media numbers and often create sponsored content. By contrast, super leaders tend to have smaller followings, but those followers are usually people the super leaders know will take their opinions seriously because they value independent feedback.

“If you look at someone with 1,000 followers, they are really giving an independent opinion,” Carvalho explains.

However, that can be a daunting task for brands, because it means being able to hold online conversations with thousands of people. It’s quite the change from the days of simply buying ads on a major network.

Carvalho says technology can help with that, acting as a filter for online posts. And, normally, super leaders will tag brands, which also helps companies stay aware of what’s being posted online.

“Start having those conversations with them, because they value these a lot,” he says. “The perception of the brand will increase more when you have this two-way communication.”

The role of packaging

Of course, packaging plays an important role in all of this.

“It can become a gateway to generate interaction,” Carvalho says.

For example, digital codes printed on packages can improve transparency of traceability, allowing consumers to access information about the product right down to the source.

The package can also be transformed into a conduit for two-way communication where brands can capture specific, valuable data about their consumers.

“We sell, globally, a year, 108 billion units of products. So can you imagine if every single unit has a unique ID and you can use this to interact with consumers and gather data? And this is already happening,” Carvalho says.

Digital packaging also allows companies to share more information about the product itself.

“The digital package gives brand owners a direct link to the consumer through an important communication channel — the product itself,” Carvalho says. “To make the most of this fully owned channel, Tetra Pak is piloting the use of augmented reality and other digital technology in our packaging to help our customers stay ahead.”

And, as consumers now look for personalized experiences from brands, unique digital packages, AR and custom printing provide new opportunities to engage and deepen relationships.

In fact, a new report from Deloitte, “The Grocery Digital Divide: How Consumer Products Companies Can Deliver on the New Digital Imperative,” highlights these changes.

Its data showed that mobile is driving the convergence of consumer and shopper behavior and expectations, with more than one-third (34 percent) saying they use a smartphone to help choose brands during a shopping trip.

However, the data also showed that food and beverage brands have a long way to go in this area. Despite its rising influence, only 31 percent of grocery shoppers indicate that digital makes grocery shopping easier, compared to 42 percent across other retail categories.

“Digital is expected to play an even bigger role in delivering the experiences shoppers’ desire,” says Rich Nanda, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and U.S. consumer products corporate strategy and growth leader. “However, many consumer products companies and their retail partners have yet to take full advantage of the opportunity, potentially leaving money on the table.”

For more information: TetraPak, www.tetrapak.com; Deloitte, www2.deloitte.com

KEYWORDS: Digital packaging grocery technology

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Crystallindell2013 1

Crystal Lindell has more than 10 years of journalism experience, and worked primarily at daily newspapers before joining BNP Media 2010. Before joining Food Engineering as the Managing Editor, she was the managing editor of a sister publication, Candy Industry Magazine, where she learned first-hand the joys of eating chocolate for breakfast. Lindell holds a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois – Springfield and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Western Illinois University.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

Food Plant Openings and Expansions June 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions June 2025

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Shalima Sreenath

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Shalima Sreenath

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Samara Heaggans

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Samara Heaggans

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

Cargill Cocoa Plant

Cargill Invests in its Cocoa Supply Chain

Campbell’s Utah plant

Going for Gold(fish): Inside The Campbell’s Company’s $160M Cracker Plant Expansion

Woman engineer on construction site

Exploring the Impact of Women Engineers on the Food Industry

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

July 23, 2025

Decarbonizing Process Heat: What You Should Know and Next Steps

Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Tetrapak

    From organics to wine: Tetra Pak creates carton packaging

    See More
  • Crown bottle top

    Crown’s latest bottle top eliminates need for opener

    See More
  • digital printing

    Sealed Air uses digital printing to customize packaging

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • composites.jpg

    Composites Materials for Food Packaging

  • handbookfoodscience.jpg

    Handbook of Food Science and Technology 2: Food Process Engineering and Packaging

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • September 9, 2015

    The Latest Processing and Packaging Solutions for Prepared Food: Perfecting Particles, Taste and Appearance

    On Demand This webinar will cover the right production design to match flexibility and lower production costs, decreasing costs while improving the quality on processing emulsions, the best solutions to process and preserve the integrity of chunks and particles and intelligent and cost effective packaging solutions for prepared foods
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!