In this episode of the Mr. Beacon Podcast, we sat down with Jenny Stanley, the Founder and Managing Director of Appetite Creative and widely recognized as a global pioneer in connected packaging, to explore how brands are transforming everyday products into powerful digital communication channels. With decades of marketing insight and a decade leading the connected packaging movement, Jenny shares how technology like QR codes and NFC is enabling brands to create meaningful, measurable two-way relationships with consumers long after a product leaves the store shelf.
Jenny explains the seismic shifts reshaping the industry. From the upcoming transition of traditional barcodes to QR codes, and the rise of Digital Product Passports to evolving sustainability regulations and consumer expectations. But beyond regulatory “sticks,” she dives deep into the “carrots”: richer storytelling, loyalty programs, personalized experiences, and valuable first-party data that can drive engagement and even increase sales.
You’ll hear why connected packaging consistently delivers longer engagement times (often minutes rather than seconds) and how brands can use interactive content, games, recipes, tutorials, and AI-driven experiences to capture attention in an increasingly crowded digital landscape. Jenny shares practical lessons from real campaigns, including how a simple data question can reshape an entire brand strategy and why most product scans happen after purchase, opening new opportunities for post-sale engagement.
The conversation also covers what separates successful campaigns from failed experiments: delivering real value instead of sending consumers to generic websites, understanding audience intent, and designing packaging with clear calls to action. Jenny offers insights into the organizational challenges brands face, from cross-department collaboration to navigating new technologies, and explains why companies are now creating dedicated connected packaging roles as adoption accelerates.
Whether you’re a marketer, technologist, product innovator, or brand leader, this episode delivers a practical and inspiring look at how connected packaging is reshaping the future of commerce—turning physical products into interactive experiences that drive loyalty, data, and growth in the digital age.
Jenny’s Most Meaningful Songs:
- “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqCo3fr8-OM
- “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CigMPtm4FM
- “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk3XycambgI
Mister Beacon is hosted by Steve Statler, CEO of ambientChat.ai — Using AI to connect people with places and products with an app that puts you in control of YOUR data.
Our sponsor is Identiv https://www.identiv.com, whose IoT solutions create digital identities for physical objects, enhancing global connectivity for businesses, people, and the planet. We are also sponsored by Blecon http://www.blecon.net. Blecon enables physical products to communicate with cloud applications using Bluetooth Low Energy.