Speciality coffee brand El Caficultor is showcasing a connected packaging initiative at London Packaging Week on 16-17 September designed to convert retail buyers into direct subscription customers.
The technology was developed by Auraveo, a digital experience platform created by Koenig & Bauer that transforms static product packaging into interactive, dynamic communication channels. It addresses a longstanding challenge for brands selling through retail channels: the loss of direct contact with consumers after purchase.
How it works
Each El Caficultor coffee pack features a unique QR code that unlocks a mobile experience when scanned. Consumers can access information about the coffee’s origin, including details of the farm, altitude, processing method and flavour profile, before being presented with a discounted subscription offer.
The initial rollout covers El Caficultor’s 100% Arábica range, including Cerrado Dulce from Brazil, Sidamo from Ethiopia, La Vereda from Colombia and Selva Negra from Nicaragua.
The platform also enables El Caficultor to collect first-party consumer data, subject to consent, providing insights into customer engagement and purchasing behaviour.
Unlike static QR codes, AuraVeo’s cloud-based system allows brands to update content without reprinting packaging and to track interactions at SKU level.
Turning packaging into sales
Sandra Wagner, CEO of AuraVeo, said: “Brands put a great deal of valuable information into their products, but much of it disappears once those products reach the shelf. El Caficultor’s packaging is no longer just a container; it’s now a sales channel.
“The important point is that the QR code is not simply a link. It gives the brand a way to keep the experience current, understand consumer behaviour, and give an interested customer a clear next step.”
The front-of-pack experience was developed by Appetite Creative, which integrated the QR code into country map illustrations, alongside the call to action “ESCANEA Y AHORRA” (“Scan and Save”).
Julián A. Lozano Sánchez, general manager at Indian EcoTrade and El Caficultor, said: “Someone buys our coffee, enjoys it, and then we lose them; that has always been the frustration of selling through retail. Now the moment they scan the bag they can read the story of that specific origin and subscribe at a better price, in the same thirty seconds.”
Jenny Stanley, managing director at Appetite Creative, added: “We moved [the QR code] to the front, sat it inside the country map so it reads as part of the design rather than a compliance mark, and put a reason directly underneath it, escanea y ahorra. That’s what drives scan rate, not the technology behind it.”
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