Page 32 - Food & Drink Magazine March 2021

PACKAGING & LABELLING
The detail is in the data
The rise of consumer interest in product and brand information has supercharged an industry of data-driven storytelling. Trust Codes head of strategy Emma Wheeler looks at how companies can use data to make meaningful connections with consumers.
BEING able to connect a consumer to the product through use of something as simple as a QR code, is a powerful tool to enable data-driven storytelling and connect the supply chain right through to a consumer. Spinning this data into a compelling story helps frame the information in a contextual way for the consumer.
If a brand can’t contextualise the data, its narrative may go adrift, resulting in a missed connection with the person buying the product.
The food system is inherently complex, with products and brands needing to keep up with innovation cycles and trends. This organically leads to product claims being more complex to differentiate them in the marketplace.
But there has also been an increased mistrust in the food system due to false or unsubstantiated product claims. Using data to connect directly to a consumer is one-way brands can build transparency and educate consumers about their product.
The use of intelligent data and analytics that are connected to a product can provide richer insights and facilitate smarter decisions.
When used correctly, data can enable organisations to tell better stories about their products, in a way that means something to the consumer. They can share product information, such a credence claims like being organic, or brand values showing how they are measuring progress; but whatever the claim, it must have a credible data source to underpin this.
These data points and insights can have an influential effect that ripple across the entire supply chain, as each point becomes more efficient with precise information and the ability to make more precise forecasts. The final point is the consumer who receives a personalised experience that ultimately encourages them to come back for more.
We work with brands to achieve this through using a digital identity on each and every item in the form of a
32 | Food&Drink business | March 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au