In collaboration with marketing agency Purple Goat, Strongbow is seeking to assess the accessibility of its drinks by directly adding a NaviLens QR code to its packaging, designed to help blind and partially sighted shoppers find and understand the product.
Citing research published by the House of Commons, Strongbow says that 90% of disabled consumers currently face accessibility issues when shopping, and according to the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People), 9 in 10 people with sight loss find information packaging difficult or impossible to read.
Strongbow’s cider products now feature the NaviLens QR code, a ‘high-contrast, smartphone-readable’ marker that links to the NaviLens app. The app shares key details such as ingredients and ABV, as well as brand content and store navigation.
The new feature was incorporated as a result of consumer insight, where Purple Goat led research into how Strongbow’s packaging is experienced by blind and visually impaired consumers, drawing on feedback from creators and community advocates including Lucy Edwards, Yahya Pandor, Claire Sisk and Sylvia Chengo.
Rachel Holms, cider brand director at Strongbow, said: “Hearing directly from blind and visually impaired creators helped us see the gaps we hadn’t considered, and that input has shaped something far more meaningful. It’s a clear reminder that inclusive design isn’t optional, it’s essential.”
Last year, senior writer Victoria Hattersley spoke to Gordon McCulloch and Allan Mabert from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC) as part of our Packaging Europe podcast series, to find out how far the packaging industry has come in accessible design and how it can do better.
Earlier this year, we heard from Tilt Beauty founder Aerin Glazer about the company’s refillable mascara and lip treatment products which come in patented ergonomic packaging, intended as an accessible solution for consumers with mobility issues, visual impairments, skin conditions, and other disabilities.
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