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DIGITAL PRINTING MONTH: How smart packaging and QR codes are bridging offline and online experiences
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The lines between physical and digital brand experiences continue to blur. For UK brand marketers looking to deliver richer, more interactive customer journeys, digitally printed packaging and point-of-sale (POS) materials are playing a central role. Powered by innovations in QR codes, NFC tags, and augmented reality (AR) triggers, print is no longer static—it’s smart, connected, and measurable. As brands seek to enhance engagement, collect zero-party data, and create seamless omnichannel experiences, interactive print is becoming a must-have element of campaign planning…

The New Role of Digital Print in Customer Engagement

Modern digital printing offers far more than fast turnaround and high-resolution output. It enables mass customisation, creative flexibility, and the integration of interactive elements directly into packaging, labels, and marketing collateral. This includes:

✔ QR codes linking to personalised content, videos, or digital promotions
✔ NFC chips embedded in packaging for tap-and-go experiences via smartphones
✔ Printed AR markers that launch immersive experiences when scanned through branded apps or social platforms

These tools turn every physical touchpoint into a digital entry point, bridging the gap between offline visibility and online engagement.

Benefits for Brands and Marketers

The integration of smart elements into digital print offers a range of strategic advantages for brand teams:

✔ Data capture – Track customer interactions, scan locations, and content preferences in real time
✔ Dynamic content delivery – Update landing pages, offers or video content without reprinting materials
✔ Stronger campaign attribution – Measure ROI from physical activations and POS displays more effectively
✔ Sustainability wins – Replace traditional multi-page instructions or promo inserts with on-pack digital content

In industries such as food & drink, personal care, fashion, and electronics, these approaches are helping brands tell richer product stories while reducing cost and waste.

Use Cases Gaining Momentum

  1. Connected packaging in FMCG: QR codes on food packaging linking to nutritional data, sustainability credentials, or brand storytelling.

  2. Retail POS displays: NFC-enabled posters or shelf displays offering product demos, loyalty sign-ups, or AR product visualisation.

  3. Event and campaign activations: Limited-edition packaging that unlocks contests, virtual experiences, or exclusive content via scannable codes.

With short-run digital printing making it easy to version designs for specific regions, events, or segments, this approach supports more targeted and agile marketing.

In 2025, digital print is no longer a traditional medium—it’s a digital bridge. By integrating smart technologies into printed materials, UK brand marketers can create connected experiences that delight consumers, generate data, and drive measurable results. The future of print is interactive, intelligent, and integrated—and it’s redefining what physical marketing can achieve.

Are you searching for Digital Print solutions for your organisation? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

Photo by MK +2 on Unsplash

GenAI demand to hit $644bn this year
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Global generative AI (GenAI) spending is expected to total $644 billion in 2025, an increase of 76.4% from 2024, according to a forecast by Gartner.“Expectations for GenAI’s capabilities are declining due to high failure rates in initial proof-of-concept (POC) work and dissatisfaction with current GenAI results,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “Despite this, foundational model providers are investing billions annually to enhance GenAI models’ size, performance, and reliability. This paradox will persist through 2025 and 2026.

“Ambitious internal projects from 2024 will face scrutiny in 2025, as CIOs opt for commercial off-the-shelf solutions for more predictable implementation and business value. Despite model improvements, CIOs will reduce POC and self-development efforts, focusing instead on GenAI features from existing software providers.” said Lovelock.

GenAI spending is poised for significant growth across all core markets and submarkets in 2025 (see Table 1). GenAI will have a transformative impact across all aspects of IT spending markets, suggesting a future where AI technologies become increasingly integral to business operations and consumer products.

Table 1. Worldwide GenAI Spending Forecast (Millions of U.S. Dollars) 

 

 

  

 2024 Spending

  

 2024 Growth  (%)

  

 2025 Spending

  

 2025 Growth  (%)
Services  10,569 177.0 27,760 162.6
Software 19,164 255.1 37,157 93.9
Devices 199,595 845.5 398,323 99.5
Servers 135,636 154.7 180,620 33.1
Overall GenAI 364,964 336.7 643,860 76.4

Source: Gartner (March 2025)

GenAI spending in 2025 will be driven largely by the integration of AI capabilities into hardware, such as servers, smartphones and PCs, with 80% of GenAI spending going towards hardware.“The market’s growth trajectory is heavily influenced by the increasing prevalence of AI-enabled devices, which are expected to comprise almost the entire consumer device market by 2028,” said Lovelock. “However, consumers are not chasing these features. As the manufacturers embed AI as a standard feature in consumer devices, consumers will be forced to purchase them.”

Photo by ilgmyzin on Unsplash