Q. Please brief us about Janela Smart Products platform.
A. As a Fortune 500 company and a packaging materials leader, Avery Dennison RBIS provides packaging and labeling solutions as well as tagging and on-product material technologies for the world's leading brands in every major global market and industry. In April 2016, we launched the Janela Smart Products Platform in association with EVRYTHNG, an Internet of Things ("IoT") smart products pioneer. With the smartphone becoming the remote control for the physical world, Janela transforms the 1:1 conversation between the brand and the consumer by merging the physical product to the digital interaction, providing a new frontier for brand dialogue and personalisation. This unique relationship of Avery Dennison's hardware, data and world-class manufacturing, along with EVRYTHNG's IoT software technology represents one of the first truly industrial scale digital enablement of everyday products. Moreover, Janela enables apparel and footwear brands to easily deliver digital applications with their physical products. Over the next three years, Avery Dennison will work to digitise a minimum of 10 billion apparel and footwear products for leading brands and retailers worldwide, enabling unique and relevant consumer experiences.
Q. What are the benefits to apparel and footwear retailers from IoT?
A. The Janela Smart Products Platform, powered by EVRYTHNG, helps apparel and footwear brands digitise their products to drive consumer engagement. By marking apparel and footwear products with a unique, serialised identity which then connects to EVRYTHNG's IoT cloud-based software, Janela creates the ability for brands and retailers to capture real-time data, enhance consumer experiences, and drive proactive marketing campaigns unique to every product and consumer. This "digital identity" also enables product registration, supports returns and re-orders, and facilitates brand protection and product authentication. Through this and more, Janela makes the manufacturing and selling of products more efficient and intelligent. Through data capture, Janela also offers brands the opportunity to customise content and drive ongoing engagement. Whether it is gaming, interactive marketing, or content creation, Janela gives brands the ability to tell their story, share transparent information like where a product is made and who made it, and encourage brand loyalty through promotional offers, discounts, points and new products. Brands can also develop organic, customisable content on the platform to keep consumers engaged.
Q. How will it interest consumers?
A. According to LS:N Global, "consumers are looking to build mutually beneficial relationships with their brands and digital devices based on empathetic data-sharing, and personalised and seamless Phygital (Physical + Digital) experiences," and Janela provides retailers and consumers with the technology to do just that. The platform offers customisable content that is unique to each consumer and can be used to gain access to product reviews, coupons, discounts, loyalty rewards, styling recommendations and more to enhance in-store and online experiences. Users can also use the technology to create wish lists, browse their current collections, find products and alternative sizes from their smartphones, register purchases via mobile, and share feedback on social media. In addition, Janela encourages responsible consumption by delivering content and care information, and options to recycle or repurpose old clothing.
Q. What is the kind of response you have received for Janela Smart Products?
A. Janela has received a great media response since our announcement in April 2016, with hundreds of publications covering the news, including top media outlets Forbes, Fortune, Quartz, Women's Wear Daily, and Business of Fashion. Overall, the Janela Smart Products Platform has garnered a positive reaction, with several media recognising this innovation as the technology that will "switch on" the fashion and retail industries, and promote greater, more intelligent interactions between consumers and brands (Source: Forbes).
Q. Can you name retailers in the apparel sector who are already using such a platform or have shown interest in it?
A. We are currently working with a few brands and retailers to pilot the Janela Smart Products Platform; unfortunately, we cannot disclose the specifics.
Q. By what percentage can retailers improve their sales and engagement with consumers using this platform?
A. While we cannot disclose the specifics at this time, Janela creates greater sales and engagement with consumers by delivering a seamless and customisable experience for users. The implementation of this technology will also give retailers and brands a more targeted and personalised approach to reach their customers. As for the technology, the application of IoT is increasingly expanding and with a projected worth of $14.4 trillion by 2020, "IoT represents a business opportunity which can provide companies with a distinct competitive advantage" (Source: Beaconstac). With technology continually advancing, Avery Dennison RBIS is committed to helping its customers stay ahead of the curve, and Janela's technology enables a forward-thinking interaction between brands, retailers, and consumers.
