Episode 282 - Connected Packaging Moves Centre Stage

The discussion in this episode draws on findings from io.tt’s latest Connected Experiences Report (CXR3), a global study exploring how brands, designers, converters and consumers are really using connected packaging today. The report digs into adoption trends, preferred use cases, consumer expectations, sustainability communication, GS1-driven change and the shifting role of QR and NFC across the pack lifecycle. It also includes practical viewpoints from partners such as Team Creatif and Eurostampa, with concrete implications for packaging, print and brand teams planning their next steps in connected experiences.

👉 Download the report here: https://io.tt/whitepapers/cxr3

In this episode, Marcus Timson explores the fast-evolving world of connected packaging with three guests who sit at different points in the value chain:

Stefan Casey, Head of Ecosystem at io.tt, the connected experiences platform behind the new Connected Experiences report

Benoît Delaverne, Senior Partner at Paris-based branding and design agency Team Creatif

Riccardo Sauvaigne, Innovation Lab lead at premium label specialist Eurostampa

Stefan explains how connected packaging has matured from a marketing novelty into a critical business tool. Powered by GS1 digital barcodes, QR codes and NFC, packs are becoming gateways to services, safety information, provenance data, loyalty and sustainability narratives. The third edition of io.tt’s global report reveals that consumers now expect this: over a third want QR codes clearly visible on the front, while 86% develop a negative view of a brand when links are broken or redundant.

Benoît brings the brand and consumer lens. For him, connected packaging finally allows the pack to live up to its role as “first media”, extending a small physical surface into an expandable storytelling canvas. He outlines how brands can use connected experiences for education, inclusivity, recycling guidance and authentic sustainability communication, while warning against one-off gimmicks and overwhelming content. Strategy and simplicity win.

Riccardo describes what all of this means in practice for printers and converters. Through Eurostampa’s Innovation Lab, brands, agencies and production teams co-create labels that combine design, embellishment and robust connected triggers. He highlights the need for new capabilities in digital print, variable QR, NFC encoding and inline verification, as well as a mindset shift from “supplier” to “solution architect”.

FuturePrint Events:

FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany