Why ROI Measurement Matters: Your Connected Packaging Masterclass

The difference between a poorly executed connected packaging campaign and a great one? A 100x difference in scan rates - from 0.1% to over 10%. On 7th October at 11am, Paul Simonet, founder at Experience is Everything, Sophie Fuller, engagement manager at GS1 UK, and I will show you the exact framework that helps you optimise every element for maximum return on investment (ROI).

The session is powered by GS1, a memberships organisation playing an active role in delivering the traceability and data, alongside the AIPIA’s Interactive Brand Packaging Network (IBPN), a pioneering new initiative to establish packaging as a recognised media and consumer engagement channel.

After years of working with brands on connected packaging initiatives, those of us involved in the industry have noticed a recent shift. We're past the ‘is this worth doing?’ conversation. The real question now is: ‘How do we prove it's working?’ which is exactly what we'll tackle in this session.

The context that's changing everything

Here's something that caught my attention recently: by 2030, there won't be any unconnected products. That's not hyperbole – it's the natural evolution of digital transformation finally reaching the one thing companies haven't digitised: their products.

We're seeing a perfect convergence. Third-party cookies are disappearing. Regulations like GDPR and the EU's Digital Product Passport are accelerating. Consumer behaviour has fundamentally changed, with QR scanning moving from novelty to norm during to Covid.

Meanwhile, 43% of marketers are already using AI to automate tasks and processes.

Connected packaging sits right at the intersection of all these trends. It's a direct line to consumers while they're using your product, enabling brands to collect first-party data in real-time with full GDPR compliant consent.

During the webinar, we'll break down the ROI model developed with the IBPN, based on real data from 18 months of campaigns across 100 million packs.

Four key connected packaging levers

1: Attracting attention

How code design, placement and call-to-action dramatically impact scan rates. We’ll discuss the difference between a weak creative execution getting 0.1% scans and a great one achieving over 10%. That's a 100x difference based purely on design decisions.

2: Capturing attention

In partnership with System1, that connected packaging experiences have shown to deliver measurably superior creative impact.

Across multiple product categories tested - from cereals to cosmetics - AR experiences consistently outperformed traditional broadcast advertising, with star ratings nearly double in some cases (5.8 versus 2.8 for cereals). The emotional response and predicted financial return consistently outperform other media channels.

3: Holding attention

Connected packaging achieves very high dwell times compared other digital channels. We're seeing average engagement of more than 90 seconds, with consumers exploring multiple pieces of content. Compare that to only a few seconds of attention achieved with traditional digital advertising.

4: Making attention pay

This is where it gets interesting. We'll show you how to calculate the dollar value of each interaction, from the cost-per-click equivalent of a scan to the value of time spent and data collected. The model translates engagement metrics into recognised financial currencies that CFOs understand - click value, attention value, data acquisition costs and sales attribution.

The AI & data opportunity

We’ll also walk through how connected packaging creates the perfect foundation for AI-enabled marketing. With deterministic data from every scan – who, what, when, where – you can build predictive models for personalisation, optimise content delivery in real-time, and create closed-loop measurement that actually works.

We'll also explore how first-party data from packaging integrates with your broader customer data platform, enabling AI-driven targeting without relying on third-party cookies.

Why this matters now

I've seen first hand how brands that started their connected packaging journey early are now leaps ahead of their competition. While others are still running pilots, these early movers have built sophisticated consumer relationships, accumulated valuable data assets and proven ROI that's securing budget year after year.

The question isn't whether connected packaging will become standard – it's whether you'll be leading or catching up.

Join us on 7th October at 11am to see exactly how to measure, prove and optimise the return from your connected packaging initiatives.

​Register here for the free webinar titled: ‘Connected packaging: A marketer’s guide to return on investment’ and come prepared with your questions – we'll have dedicated time for Q&A where we can discuss your specific challenges.

Jenny Stanley is managing director at Appetite Creative. For more information visit here.