BL.INK Unifies Connected Packaging and GS1 Digital Link

Enhancing engagement with every product and enabling Variable Data Printing (VDP) for personalized product experiences

June 5, 2024, Austin, TX – Yesterday, BL.INK, the Enterprise Link Management company, announced the launch of its groundbreaking  connected packaging and personalization platform, BL.INK CXP (Consumer Xperience Platform). This innovative solution marks a significant leap forward in product packaging, enabling brands to deliver personalized, data-driven consumer experiences at scale. BL.INK CXP is part of BL.INK's GS1 Digital Link offering that seamlessly integrates GS1 standards, including Digital Link and Digital Product Passports (DPP), into its robust Enterprise Link Management platform. 

As the industry transitions from traditional UPCs to GS1 Digital Links, BL.INK CXP empowers brands to enhance each product with rich, interactive content and allows brands to beat the deadline to Sunrise 2027 and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Rule 204 while allowing each package to be personalized to each product and consumer. 

Importance of Sunrise 2027 and FSMA Rule 204

Sunrise 2027 marks the industry-wide transition to GS1 Digital Links, crucial for enhancing product information accessibility, supply chain transparency, and consumer engagement across all product types. FSMA Rule 204, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, mandates enhanced traceability requirements for certain foods to prevent contamination and ensure swift responses to foodborne illness outbreaks. Compliance with this rule is essential for maintaining food safety, protecting public health, and building consumer trust in the food supply chain.

By aligning with these standards, BL.INK CXP helps brands stay ahead of regulatory requirements, ensuring they are well-prepared for the future of product traceability and consumer transparency. 

Transforming Packaging with Personalization

“A QR code with a tailored microsite turns a physical product into a whole new customer engagement channel,” said Marci Maddox, Research Vice President, Digital Experience Strategies at IDC. “Where brands currently develop complex websites for their company products or marketing campaigns that only use QR codes to get to a generic landing page, a GS1 solution requires a level of scale to produce mobile-ready, data-driven microsites down to, in some cases, the serial number. Traditional CMS tools are not natively designed to only deliver mobile product pages; custom development would be necessary and costly in both time and resources to implement GS1 Digital Links.” 

BL.INK is the first solution provider to deliver a data-driven, mobile-first CMS tool that connects disparate data, aligns it with a specific standardized GS1 Digital Link, and generates personalized product experience across millions of products in seconds. 

“GS1 Digital Links present a significant opportunity for brands, but many of our clients find the process complex,” said Andy Meadows, CEO of BL.INK. “By enabling the creation of consumer-friendly mobile pages at scale, coupled with our enterprise link and QR management platform, we provide a straightforward, end-to-end solution that allows our clients to get started quickly and easily, with limitless potential for growth.”

How BL.INK Accelerates Modernization and Compliance  

Connected packaging offers transformative benefits but also presents several challenges. Technological integration can be complex, requiring seamless compatibility with existing systems like ERP and CRM and adherence to industry standards such as GS1 Digital Links. Data management is another significant hurdle in ensuring data security, accuracy, and compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. BL.INK CXP is designed to address these challenges by providing a robust platform that integrates smoothly with existing systems and adheres to industry standards, ensuring secure and accurate data management.

• Fast time to market. BL.INK’s solution enables brands to launch millions of links, codes, and pages dynamically well ahead of the 2027 deadline, from implementation kick-off to live microsites, BL.INK estimates a six-month implementation process.
  
  
• Capturing and synchronizing disparate data from silos. This initiative requires millions of data points—UPCs, GTINs, sizes, colors, specifications, inventory, sustainability, and care instructions—that live in silos across an organization. BL.INK integrates with unlimited sources to deliver an instantaneous, seamless consumer experience, directly from a brand’s existing data.
  
  
• Privacy-first. Building BL.INK CXP, with accountability and data protection, involves implementing robust privacy measures, compliance with global regulations, and ensuring that user data is protected at every stage of the consumer experience.
  
  

The integration of BL.INK CXP, with variable data printing, revolutionizes manufacturing, traceability, and the supply chain by enabling the dynamic generation of personalized QR codes for each product package. These QR codes link to unique, mobile-ready microsites that provide real-time, tailored content and comprehensive product information. Designed for longevity, BL.INK CXP ensures that these dynamic QR codes and microsites remain functional and relevant for up to 50 years. This enhances supply chain transparency and accuracy, driving deeper consumer engagement and more effective marketing strategies throughout the product's lifecycle.

BL.INK CXP is available now to enhance efficiency, compliance, and customer satisfaction across various industries from Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics by streamlining product data management and providing comprehensive visibility and control.

About BL.INK 

Founded in 2008, BL.INK is a leading Enterprise Link Management platform dedicated to enhancing customer experiences for the FORTUNE 500. BL.INK enables organizations to use branded links, custom QR Codes, and comprehensive link management analytics to engage customers, deliver critical information, and optimize customer-centric online retail experiences. BL.INK is the choice of leading enterprises aiming to navigate the complexities of digital transformation and international standards. BL.INK is dedicated to advancing GS1 Digital Links and Digital Product Passports, ensuring unparalleled traceability, transparency, and consumer trust for global brands.