Tobacco Business

[ 14 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ NOVEMBER / DECEMBER | 21 ] STARTUP / TECH P Packaging is very important. Packaging protects products, communicates a brand’s values, helps products stand out on shelves, and now, thanks to HumidifGroup, it will be able to boost consumer engagement and sales by creating valuable digital selling environments within humidors across the world. HumidifGroup has spent more than 30 years becoming a leader in design and packaging solutions for tobacco manufacturers. Its extensive knowledge of the industry has led it to identify a very common issue faced by many manufacturers: There’s often not enough direct communication between a brand and the final consumer. If brands had more interaction with their consumers, they would better know their needs and opinions and could offer a stronger message to them in a more timely and effective way. This would give consumers more access to the brand and create a more personalized relationship with the brands and their manufacturers. Another issue HumidifGroup has identified as it relates to packaging is the growing number of counterfeit products filling the marketplace. “Our company is very proud to be able to say that it works with the main tobacco brands in the world,” explains Pierre Jebian, director of HumidifGroup USA. “These, like all luxury brands, are not exempt from copies and fakes. For this reason, we saw the need to include an authentication system in our packaging that allows the consumer to confirm the authenticity of the product, protecting the brand and its consumers against the growing market of counterfeits and instilling confidence in the authenticity of the products and the point of sale where they are marketed.” To solve these common packaging-related issues, HumidifGroup has introduced what it calls Smart Packaging, a new form of packaging that uses near-field communication (NFC) technology that offers benefits to both brands and their consumers. An NFC chip will be embedded within a cigar box or cigar accessory. With a simple tap of a smartphone, not only will consumers be able to authenticate the products they are buying, but they can become immersed within the brands through a host of interactive features, including artificial/virtual reality, pairing notes and reordering information, among many other features. Retailers will also see a direct benefit of HumidifGroup’s Smart Packaging technology, Jebian explains. “This technology creates a direct communication channel with the consumer that allows us to transmit the right message at the right time, avoiding the noise and regulations of traditional marketing channels, improving the consumer experience by offering exclusive and personalized content, extending the relationship beyond sales, and offering confidence to the consumer regarding the authenticity of the products he sells. Therefore, the retailer will have a wide range of possibilities, especially in terms of in-store promotion, in a very attractive, innovative and digital way. Both the products and the interactive points have dynamic web that allows them to update the information constantly through a personalized back office.” HumidfiGroup’s Smart Pack- aging sets out to improve the end- customer experience, offering them more engagement with brands and creating loyalty through education and a memorable digital experience. Best yet, this technology is ready to be used by brands right now. Among the first to use HumidifGroup’s Smart Packaging is the recently launched Ferio Tego brand. “Packaging is an important part of the Ferio Tego experience,” says Michael Herklots, co-owner of Ferio Tego. “Smart Packaging by HumidifGroup allows us to control our messaging and ensure that we are communicating clearly to our audience. Our retail partners work tirelessly to run their businesses, a challenge made only greater these last 18 months. Smart Packaging allows us to assist them, keeping the most helpful details and stories of Ferio Tego right on the product itself, delivered straight to a smartphone.” You can learn more about HumidifGroup’s Smart Packaging solution by visiting humidifgroup.com/smart-packaging . TB Virtual Humidor Assistant HumidifGroup’s new Smart Packaging technology helps bridge the gap between brands and end consumers through interactive means.