18. Nov. 2025
New research reveals that consumers expect brands to manage the authenticity of their products, with 68% of consumers globally more likely to choose a connected product that provides them with additional value during the purchase lifecycle. The Connected Experience Report shows that half (49%) of consumers would also be willing to pay a premium for it, with NFC technology enabling brands to deliver evidence of authenticity, meet regulatory requirements, and build long-term consumer trust.
The research, prepared by io.tt in collaboration with Pragmatic Semiconductor, Eurostampa, r-pac, Team Creatif and GS1 UK, found that 63% of consumers report a more positive perception of brands that adopt connected packaging to enhance transparency and engagement. It also highlights the importance of incorporating authenticity to stimulate the circular economy with 59% of consumers saying they would be more inclined to buy second-hand goods if digital product passports were implemented.
“The cost of losing consumer trust cannot be underestimated. NFC technology gives brands a frictionless digital touchpoint by incorporating secure digital identifiers directly into products, giving every item its own verifiable record of origin and interactive features,” said Ravi Shankar Sundaram, Senior Director of Product Management, at Pragmatic Semiconductor. “Manufactured sustainably and at low cost, our NFC Connect product family of flexible, ultra-thin chips – FlexICs – can be invisibly embedded into packaging or labels, enabling every product to tell its story and helping brands to build true competitive advantage while staying ahead of upcoming regulations.”
Overall, the research strongly highlighted the increasing importance of an interactive experience in purchasing today:
“NFC is unlocking the next generation of connected experiences,” said Cameron Worth, Founder and CEO of io.tt. “It feels instant, human and valuable – and with new chip formats and materials, it’s finally becoming scalable. We’ve been building towards this moment since our first NFC project in 2016.”
— Ends —
Get your copy of the report (PDF) here.
Methodology
Research via online survey was carried out by Censuswide in September and October 2025. Respondents were 750 consumers across a selection of different demographics, and 750 budget holders and marketing decision-makers in consumer-packaged goods, wine and spirits, and wellness and beauty, each split evenly between the UK, US, and India.
About Pragmatic Semiconductor
Pragmatic Semiconductor is pioneering flexible semiconductor technology at scale to sustainably bridge the digital and physical worlds. With optimised, purpose-led design and sustainable innovation at its core, Pragmatic designs and manufactures flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs) – ultra-thin, flexible form factor semiconductors.
Pragmatic’s products, FlexIC platforms and foundry services empower customers to deliver flexible innovation with connect, sense and compute capabilities, enabling sustainable edge and item-level intelligence at scale and speed. The Pragmatic FlexIC Foundry operates a unique and innovative process offering sustainable production and rapid innovation cycle times, coupled with a pathway to supply chain resilience.
Pragmatic Semiconductor Communications: pr@pragmaticsemi.com
Link to Press Release
Connected Experiences Report illustrates how intelligent packaging powered by Pragmatic Semiconductor’s NFC Connect microchips enables deeper levels of transparency and consumer trust.
- - 92% of brands have begun embedding NFC into their products or will do so within the next year to tap into market opportunity.
- - 68% of consumers would be more likely to choose products with connected packaging if it delivered value.
- - 49% of consumers said they would pay more for a connected product using technology like NFC.
New research reveals that consumers expect brands to manage the authenticity of their products, with 68% of consumers globally more likely to choose a connected product that provides them with additional value during the purchase lifecycle. The Connected Experience Report shows that half (49%) of consumers would also be willing to pay a premium for it, with NFC technology enabling brands to deliver evidence of authenticity, meet regulatory requirements, and build long-term consumer trust.
The research, prepared by io.tt in collaboration with Pragmatic Semiconductor, Eurostampa, r-pac, Team Creatif and GS1 UK, found that 63% of consumers report a more positive perception of brands that adopt connected packaging to enhance transparency and engagement. It also highlights the importance of incorporating authenticity to stimulate the circular economy with 59% of consumers saying they would be more inclined to buy second-hand goods if digital product passports were implemented.
“The cost of losing consumer trust cannot be underestimated. NFC technology gives brands a frictionless digital touchpoint by incorporating secure digital identifiers directly into products, giving every item its own verifiable record of origin and interactive features,” said Ravi Shankar Sundaram, Senior Director of Product Management, at Pragmatic Semiconductor. “Manufactured sustainably and at low cost, our NFC Connect product family of flexible, ultra-thin chips – FlexICs – can be invisibly embedded into packaging or labels, enabling every product to tell its story and helping brands to build true competitive advantage while staying ahead of upcoming regulations.”
Overall, the research strongly highlighted the increasing importance of an interactive experience in purchasing today:
- - 41% scan or tap product QR/NFC several times a week or more;
- - 30% would choose the connected option out of two comparable products;
- - Discounts and promotions (32%), usage instructions (30%) and authentication (29%) are the top consumer drivers for interacting with connected packaging;
- - UK consumers most value authentication (31%) and ingredient sourcing (27%), while US consumers were most interested in freshness data (28%) alongside ingredient sourcing (25%).
“NFC is unlocking the next generation of connected experiences,” said Cameron Worth, Founder and CEO of io.tt. “It feels instant, human and valuable – and with new chip formats and materials, it’s finally becoming scalable. We’ve been building towards this moment since our first NFC project in 2016.”
— Ends —
Get your copy of the report (PDF) here.
Methodology
Research via online survey was carried out by Censuswide in September and October 2025. Respondents were 750 consumers across a selection of different demographics, and 750 budget holders and marketing decision-makers in consumer-packaged goods, wine and spirits, and wellness and beauty, each split evenly between the UK, US, and India.
About Pragmatic Semiconductor
Pragmatic Semiconductor is pioneering flexible semiconductor technology at scale to sustainably bridge the digital and physical worlds. With optimised, purpose-led design and sustainable innovation at its core, Pragmatic designs and manufactures flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs) – ultra-thin, flexible form factor semiconductors.
Pragmatic’s products, FlexIC platforms and foundry services empower customers to deliver flexible innovation with connect, sense and compute capabilities, enabling sustainable edge and item-level intelligence at scale and speed. The Pragmatic FlexIC Foundry operates a unique and innovative process offering sustainable production and rapid innovation cycle times, coupled with a pathway to supply chain resilience.
Pragmatic Semiconductor Communications: pr@pragmaticsemi.com
Link to Press Release