QR Codes on Chocolates: Seven Ways to Make Your Delicacies Smarter

Chocolate is probably one of the world’s most beloved desserts. Some might argue that it’s a snack though.

Nevertheless, as a chocolate manufacturer or brand, it’s important for you to increase your sales. 

So how would you go on and achieve the same in today’s competitive market?

You may want to watch out for QR Codes as a means to do so. And you’re right. Many businesses leverage them to make their processes better. This article shall go on to explain ways you can use QR Codes on chocolates.

A. What can QR Codes on chocolates offer for brands

QR Codes on chocolate packaging can do more than share product information. Here are some innovative ways in which chocolate brands can leverage QR Codes:

1. Relay detailed product information

Chocolates are rather small, and their packaging, as you guessed, is also small.

So how do you add detailed product information in such a tiny space? Many a time, manufacturers just skip doing that. But the problem is regulatory guidelines often need you to share details related to ingredients and manufacturing.

Plus, consumers today are more concerned about what they buy than ever before. 

In either case, it’s important that your product contains all the important details. However, the limited printing space on the packaging is always a huge pain.

What can you do to tackle it? You go the Product QR Code route!

With a Product QR Code, you can share all the relevant product details. We’re not just talking about textual content here. You can even share images, videos, websites, product descriptions, and social media handles too!

It just takes a scan for users from their smartphone to see all these details. And a QR Code won’t take up as much space on your packaging. Great right? 

2. Creative recipes and tips

Who doesn’t love some good dishes made from chocolates? Sounds tempting, right?

Printing the recipe on the packaging, again, might not be an option (due to space constraints). But a Custom Page QR Code has got your back!

Think of it as a mobile landing page with all the recipes. Here you can add text, images, video, weblinks, and a lot more!

3. Customer support and feedback

Your customer’s response to your product makes or breaks your brand. So it becomes all the more important to collect their feedback. 

This process helps you analyze their product-related preferences. You can then go on to identify the areas of strength and improvement.

But getting the customers to respond to the feedback form is a tricky task. They have to open their phones and type in the URL to access the form.

A simple alternative would be to add a survey QR Codes on chocolate packaging. This will do away with the hassle of manually typing the form link.

A simple process would lead to an increase in the response rate of your survey.

4. Product catalog for users

You are driving your customers to your retail store which is great. But what about your website traffic?

As a modern brand, you must take advantage of the potential that a website has to offer. And your existing customer base would make the most relevant web traffic. An online CRM software can help in effectively managing customer retention, hence boosting sales for the business.

So make sure that after someone buys a chocolate bar, they still stay in touch with you. To do that, you can use a Website URL QR Code on your product packaging.

With a scan from their smartphones, users are directed toward the website encoded on the QR Code.

There’s no limit to what you can display on your website, as it is an endless digital avenue.

This method is sustainable for the environment and helps you save your marketing costs too. A win-win, right?

5. Increase your social media reach

Just like your website, you’d want people to know about your social media pages too, right?

But telling them your social handles verbally just doesn’t do the trick anymore. Typing in your social media handles is something that they won’t enjoy. Even if they do, they might get confused as to which page to follow.  

As a better solution, use a Social Media QR Code on your chocolate packaging.

When users scan it, they will be directed to a landing page having button links to your social media profiles. They can then choose their favorite one to follow you. Simple as that!

6. Lead users to your mobile app

Do you have a mobile app for your chocolate business? It could be to help people place an order or browse through the product range. For this to happen you’d want them to download your app.

An App Store QR Code can help you do just that! Simply create one and add it to the packaging with a relevant CTA. For example, “Scan here to download our app now”.

This eliminates the need for users to manually find the app. Also, they will be directed toward the relevant app store as per their device’s software.

A simple process like this is sure to drive an increase in your app’s downloads.

7. Coupons and discount codes

Who doesn’t love discounts and vouchers? 

And as a business, such offers not only attract new customers but retain the existing ones too.

A Coupon QR Code can help you achieve the same. When the customers scan it via the chocolate packaging or promotional material, they see the offer details. By clicking on the redeem button, they can avail of the offer.

So no need for anyone to remember or type the voucher code anymore. A simple scan would do the job just fine.

There are seven major ways QR Codes can help your chocolate business. But there could be many other avenues for you to discover.

Let’s now see where exactly you can add these QR Codes on chocolate.

B. Types of packaging where QR Codes are used

When you place a QR Code on your packaging, it serves as an effective marketing tool. This helps the users take the required action quickly. 

So which packaging should you exactly add the QR Codes to? Here are the options you may consider:

1. Primary Packaging

It’s the layer of packaging that’s directly in touch with the main product (chocolate here). It could be paper, plastic, foil, etc. 

Adding a QR Code here might not work. That’s because when the chocolate melts (due to heat), it would create stains and marks on the packaging. This would lead to failure in scanning the QR Code.

2. Secondary Packaging

It supports your primary packaging. It is the box or cellophane sheet that would hold your chocolates. You can use QR Codes on this layer to relay the required information.

3. Tertiary Packaging

This packaging is used to group your chocolate packaging, i.e. primary and secondary packaging. Its chief purpose is to facilitate logistics and transportation.

Manufacturers often use QR Codes on this layer of packaging for inventory tracking purposes. Not sure how? We have a detailed guide for you to go through it in detail. 

C. How to create QR Code for chocolate

Now that you know where you can include QR Codes on your chocolate packaging, let’s see how to create one.

1. Head on to Scanova’s website

2. Select any QR Code category of your choice. For example, to add a weblink, select Website URL QR Code. Let’s create a Website URL QR Code as a demo

3. Add the website link you want to take the users to. After that, click Continue

4. Name your QR Code on the next page. Here, the Dynamic selection is made by default. Enter a name for the QR Code on this page to continue

5. Next, you’ll see a QR Code image on the right with the Edit Design option under it. It’ll help you customize the QR Code design by either adding a logo and color or adding a background image

6. If you choose to design the QR Code, click on Update Changes after finalizing the design. After that click on Download

7. You will see a pop-up box for a quick sign-up. Don’t worry, you’ll not have to give away your credit card details

8. Once done signing up, click On Download again. Enter the size and format of the QR Code image in the following pop-up

9. After this, select Export

 Your QR Code will be downloaded and ready for use.

D. Advantages of using QR Codes on chocolates

1. Creating effective marketing through analytics

With traditional print media creatives, it’s quite a task to gauge campaign performance. Whereas, QR Codes on chocolate make your print media trackable. How?

They can help you keep an eye on their scanning activity based on many parameters. For example, you can monitor scans by:

• Date & time
• Location (by City/state(time, location, etc.)
• Device(s) used
• Browsers
• Exact GPS location

This data is really helpful to see how your campaign is performing and even improve it further.

2. Makes your brand easily recognizable

Your QR Codes on chocolate needn’t be black and white. You can customize it to your brand. How?.

You can add your brand’s logo and colors to your QR Code. Also, you can use a background image to do the same.

A customized QR Code helps you stand out from your competitors and even gets you more scans when compared to generic QR Codes.

3. Aids in sustainability

QR Codes on chocolate are the key to save not just your printing space but printing costs as well.

Sharing the information via QR Codes means using the least amount of packaging and printed materials.

4. Lets you update content in real-time

Did you know that a QR Code can be edited after having created it? Yes, it’s called a Dynamic QR Code.

A Dynamic QR Code is an advanced QR Code that’s flexible in nature.

You can edit its content anytime and yet your QR Code will remain the same. No need to create a new QR Code every time you need to make changes to it. The existing one, when updated, will show the new content to the end users. 

E. Best practices to follow for QR Codes on chocolate

Now that you’re familiar with the advantages of using the QR Code, let’s look at some of the best practices to follow:

1. Choose the right dimensions

Your QR Code’s size matters when it comes to effective scanning by the end-users.

Based on how far the users are, you can calculate the size of the QR Code using a basic rule.

The ratio of scanning distance to the QR Code’s size should be 10:1.

So, if a QR Code on chocolate is to be scanned from 100 cm away, it should be at least 10 cm wide.

2. Placement is the key

An odd placement of the QR Codes on chocolate won’t make sense. Hence, avoid adding QR Codes to the places that are hard to notice or scan for the customers.

The right placement makes all the difference and even increases your scanning rates!

Hence, make sure you don’t add them to uneven surfaces, and cracked or crumpled packaging.

3. Add instructions to scan the QR Codes on chocolate

You might be technically aware and sound, but would you say the same about your customers?

Don’t just leave them in limbo and scratching their heads. Simply add an instruction alongside the QR Code.

A CTA (call to action statement) nudges the users to take the desired action. For example, you may add “Scan Here To Download The App”. Such CTA would clearly tell the end-users what to do and what to expect after scanning the QR Codes on chocolates.

Summing Up

Your chocolate’s marketing and operational activities can benefit from a QR Code on the packaging. Besides the use cases we discussed, there’s a lot that QR Codes on chocolates could help you with.

If you’re still reading, you’ve already learned everything about using QR Codes on Chocolates. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments.