Connected packaging becomes boardroom imperative in 2026

Industry confidence in connected packaging has reached a record high. In the latest Global Connected Packaging Survey, 92.3% of executives said it will become increasingly important over the next 12 months and beyond, up from 88.8% a year earlier.

Adoption is rising too. Some 81.2% of organisations said they currently use connected packaging, up from 72.6% in 2025.

Appetite Creative and Koenig & Bauer AURAVEO conducted the research, polling 712 executives across multiple industries worldwide in January and February.

Connected packaging links physical packs to digital experiences using technologies such as QR codes and NFC tags. Brands and manufacturers use it to deliver content to consumers, verify products, gather data and meet emerging reporting requirements.

Drivers shift

The survey suggests investment priorities are changing. Data collection was the leading driver, cited by 60.9% of respondents, followed closely by compliance (60.7%) and sustainability (60.4%).

Marketing and customer loyalty remained prominent at 60.2%, while 57.8% cited engagement. Overall, the results suggest connected packaging is increasingly seen as more than a marketing channel.

Regulatory and standards-related requirements are taking a larger role. The survey highlighted compliance needs such as GS1 standards and digital product passports. Interest in serialised QR codes rose to 73.2% from 66.1% in 2025, pointing to growing attention on more granular tracking and identification.

Scepticism has also declined. Only 7.7% of respondents described connected packaging as a passing fad, down from 13.4% in 2025.

Technology mix

Use is shifting from single technologies to combinations. Among adopters, 47.1% reported using QR codes and NFC together, compared with 31.8% using QR codes alone and 21.1% using NFC tags alone.

This move towards multi-technology deployments can reflect different needs across the supply chain and consumer engagement. QR codes offer broad smartphone compatibility, while NFC can enable tap-based interactions and authentication features, depending on implementation.

Sector adoption

Adoption spans a wide range of industries. Marketing and advertising led at 14.2%, followed by automotive and travel (13.5%) and manufacturing (13.5%).

FMCG and packaging each accounted for 12.4% of adoption in the survey sample, suggesting connected packaging is no longer confined to traditional consumer packaged goods use cases.

Spending plans

Budgets also appear to be moving higher. More than three quarters of respondents (75.7%) said they were increasing digital marketing spend in 2026, broadly unchanged from 75.5% the year before.

Planning for connected packaging campaigns increased, with 83.3% saying they plan campaigns this year, up from 76.7% in 2025. The survey also points to a shift away from smaller experiments: 28.4% planned to spend less than $15,000, down from 34.8% in 2025.

Mid-tier budgets remained common. Some 19.2% expected to spend $15,000 to $30,000, and 24.1% expected $31,000 to $50,000. At the higher end, 15.3% planned $51,000 to $80,000, up from 10% last year, while 13% cited budgets above $81,000, up from 7.7%.

Jenny Stanley, managing director at Appetite Creative, said: "Five years in, and the data tells a compelling story. Connected packaging has moved decisively from an emerging trend to a boardroom imperative. The record adoption rates, surge in gamification and the increasing focus on regulatory compliance all point to an industry that is no longer just experimenting, it's implementing at scale. What is particularly exciting is how the use cases are broadening: from consumer loyalty and sustainability to supply chain traceability and digital product passports. Connected packaging is no longer a marketing tool alone; it is a strategic business platform."

Gamification grows

Consumer engagement through gamification continued to rise. Some 67.7% of respondents said they incorporate gaming elements into connected packaging campaigns, up from 59% in 2025.

Mobile games were the most common format (52.1%), followed by quizzes and trivia (48.9%). AR-based games were used by 42.3%.

The most frequently cited goal for gamification was promoting new products or services (47.2%). Gathering consumer insights followed at 23.4%, with brand awareness at 17.7%.

Sandra Wagner, CEO of Koenig & Bauer Kyana, said: "Connected packaging has reached an inflection point, and the results of this year's survey make that unmistakably clear. The record adoption rates, the surge in multi-technology deployment and the growing focus on regulatory compliance all reflect an industry that has matured significantly."

Appetite Creative said it will discuss the findings in an online webinar featuring speakers from GS1, Koenig & Bauer AURAVEO and SIG.