Strongbow is the first alcohol brand to add NaviLens technology to its packaging.
NaviLens uses scannable QR codes to provide a high-contrast, smartphone-readable marker that helps blind and partially sighted shoppers find, understand and engage with the product.
The code links to the NaviLens app which shares key details such as ingredients, ABV, brand content and store navigation.
Rolling out as a phased approach across all Strongbow SKUs, the move aims to build on the brand’s ambition to “lead the way in the cider category through inclusivity”, it said.
Nine in 10 people with sight loss find information on packaging difficult or impossible to read, reported the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
The tech would better connect Strongbow and retailers with an “otherwise underserved and under-engaged audience”, added the Heineken-owned brand.
“This wasn’t just about adding a QR code, it’s about understanding how people experience our product and adding value into the cider category. Hearing directly from blind and visually impaired creators as part of this process has helped us see the gaps we hadn’t previously considered, and that input has shaped something far more meaningful,” said Rachel Holms, cider brand director at Heineken UK.
“We are so proud of our position as the UK’s number one cider brand[3] and hope this packaging update sets an example for the wider category – helping retailers feel confident that when they stock Strongbow, they’re helping to make their cider ranges even more easily shoppable.”
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