Brief:

• Cadbury, the U.K. confectioner owned by Mondelez, is putting Valentine's Day chocolates in special boxes that can interact with a smartphone to record and send a video message to a loved one. Each Cadbury Milk Tray package has a unique code that can be scanned with a smartphone camera to let people record and save a personalized video message linked to the code, according to a press release shared with Mobile Marketer.
• The recipient of the chocolates then uses a smartphone to scan the same code and view the video message, which can also be shared directly on social media. The personalized boxes are available in 133 Tesco stores in the U.K. leading up to Valentine's Day on Feb. 14.
• The Cadbury boxes use the MaXQ digital packaging system developed by Amcor and technology partner Kezzler.

Insight:

The news shows how brands can leverage mobile technology to replicate some of the success platforms like Skype and Facebook have had with video messaging, especially around holidays like Valentine's Day. The call to action — what would you say with Milk Tray? — is integrated in innovative boxes showcasing how packaging can be transformed into a personalized experience for shoppers using a mobile device. More broadly, Amcor's MaXQ digital packaging system is aimed at consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands that seek to communicate with the 84% of people who use their smartphones while shopping, per its website.

CPG companies continue to seek ways to stand out amid demographic shifts and mass-market shopping activities among consumers, PwC said in a report. Population growth and gains in consumer spending have provided a reliable source of growth for CPG companies in the past, but developed markets in North America and Europe have seen falling birth rates and stagnant wages that slow expansion and sales for many industries. These economic and consumer changes force brands to get creative with their marketing strategies and find new ways to build relationships with customers, while reaching them while they're making purchasing decisions in stores.

Amcor isn't alone in developing technology that can activate a user experience via a smartphone. Thin Film Electronics also sells packaging that interacts with mobile devices using near-field communications. The company has developed interactive packaging for brands like spirits brands Campari and Barbadillo, as well as high-tech shelving for drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline to offer special promotions or more information to consumers shopping the aisles in stores.