INTERACTIVE PACKAGING


demonstrate where connected packaging could go when it stops being a marketing add-on and becomes basic product infrastructure, giving blind and partially sighted shoppers the same access to allergen and ingredient information that sighted shoppers take for granted. At Appetite Creative, our strategic work


across confectionery brands reinforces this consistently. We have found that the most successful interactive packaging experiences are those which are able to solve a genuine consumer problem, rather than existing solely for novelty. Whether it’s accessibility, ingredient transparency, personalisation, or persistent engagement, the brands that are having the greatest success with interactive packaging are the ones that are combining Stefan’s Nestlé-scale insights with genuinely creative execution. Starting a conversation


The wrapper used to end the conversation. Today its aim should be to start one. Appetite Creative’s survey shows that industry confidence is high, with 92.3% of respondents believing that connected packaging will be increasingly important, with only 7.7% remaining sceptical – down from 11.2% last year. Meanwhile, 83.3% are actively planning connected packaging campaigns for 2026, with 71.6% willing to invest $31k or more per campaign. From Mondelz’s ‘Snacking Right’


rollout across Cadbury and Oreo, to Ferrero’s Kinder Applaydu app bringing toys to life via AR, or Nutella’s virtual tours, the category is moving at pace. Despite this, many campaigns still end in 404 errors once corporate budgets shift and this is where longer-term strategy matters. Appetite Creative has seen first hand


how persistent,


purposeful experiences matter more than flashy launches. The advice is to build infrastructure, not campaigns. We have spent a decade teaching packaging to talk. The next decade will be


More about the Zappar and the RNIB project


In 2024 Nestlé Confectionery trialled Accessible QR codes on its KitKat and Quality Street brands, to help consumers living with sight loss to more easily access product information more easily. Why? In the UK alone, over two million people are living with sight loss, and around 340,000 of these are registered as blind or partially sighted. The QR codes, powered by Zappar


technology, were designed to allow blind and partially sighted shoppers to more easily retrieve essential product information. They are able to scan the Accessible QR codes on their phones using apps already used by the blind and partially sighted community, meaning there is no need for any additional downloads. When scanning the enhanced


QR code, they receive structured information tailored to their specific needs, including details on allergens, dietary requirements and usage instructions. The information is presented via standard accessible features such as large fonts and audible screen reader technology to ensure accessibility for all. Commenting on the project, Sarah


Drakes, Sustainability Manager for Nestlé Confectionery UK & Ireland, says:


“By introducing Accessible QR codes on KitKat and Quality Street packs, we wanted to be able to make a significant and positive difference to the shopping experience of our blind and partially sighted customers. Max Dawes, COO at Zappar, says:


“We were thrilled to collaborate with Nestlé on this initiative. By integrating Accessible QR codes into brands like KitKat and Quality Street, we took another significant step toward making access to product information a basic human right.” John Worsfold, Head of Solutions


Innovation at RNIB, says: “Collaborating with brands such as Nestlé is important in our ongoing mission to highlight how the industry can raise its game and make packaging more accessible. Blind and partially sighted people should have the same freedom, independence and choice as sighted customers. “We are delighted that shoppers


can now use this technology through their smartphones to access important on pack information such as allergy information and dietary requirements on KitKat and Quality Street packs. It also helps consumers in their decision- making process by describing the shape and colour of each sweet.”


about teaching it to listen – to allergens, to accessibility needs, to what happens after the last piece is eaten. Used well, connected packaging can literally save lives. The infrastructure now exists to


maintain a genuine ongoing dialogue directly you’re your consumers long after they have purchased a product. Appetite Creative data shows where this is heading, with 47.1% of brands deploying both QR and NFC technology,


50 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2026


with the conversation shifting from ‘which technology?’ to ‘which combination of technologies?’ Meanwhile, gamification adoption has reached 67.7% – up 8.7% year-on-year, with brands moving from static content to interactive games and quizzes that drive sustained engagement. The drivers appear to be shifting too.


While 52.1% of our survey respondents cite authentication and anti-counterfeit as their primary focus, 51.4% cite GS1 digital product


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