# Coca-Cola and Pepsi turn cans into post-purchase engagement channels with QR codes

*Beverage giants convert packaging into a trackable marketing asset after the transaction closes.*

By **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA, Principal** — The Stash Edge, Hako Shikin LLC.
Published 2026-07-31.

Canonical: https://www.pops4.com/stash/articles/coca-cola-and-pepsi-2026-07-31t18-5
Subject: Coca-Cola and Pepsi
Tags: qr codes, packaging, post-purchase, loyalty, email capture, owned media

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Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and several major beverage brands are printing QR codes directly onto aluminum cans, shifting packaging from a point-of-sale identifier to a post-purchase engagement tool, according to MSN Money. The codes link to branded content, loyalty programs, sweepstakes entries, and product information that extends the relationship beyond the cooler.

The play is straightforward: a scannable code on the can body or under the tab redirects to a mobile landing page. Coca-Cola routes scans to its Coca-Cola Insiders loyalty platform, where consumers register products for points. Pepsi drives to promotional campaigns and limited-run digital experiences tied to seasonal launches. The code becomes a second transaction, unpaid but measurable, happening in the customer's hand after they have already bought the product.

The mechanism works because the packaging is already in distribution, the incremental printing cost is negligible, and the smartphone is already out when someone opens a can in a social setting. The QR code converts idle packaging real estate into a trackable call-to-action without requiring the brand to negotiate shelf space, buy a display ad, or intercept the customer elsewhere. The can becomes the media buy.

For a small physical-product brand, the steal is direct. Print a QR code on your packaging that links to a simple mobile landing page. The page should do one of three things: collect an email in exchange for a discount code on the next purchase, invite the customer to share a photo with your product for entry into a monthly giveaway, or direct them to a short survey about how they use the product. Use a free QR generator like qr-code-generator.com or Bitly, which also provides scan tracking. Test the code on **five different phone models** before committing to a print run.

Keep the landing page load time under **two seconds**. A Typeform survey, a Carrd one-pager with an embedded email form, or a Linktree with three options all work. The goal is not elaborate production. The goal is to own a direct channel to someone who has already given you money. Position the QR code near the product use instructions or on the inside of a package flap where it is visible after unboxing, not competing with front-of-package branding.

Run the first campaign as a **60-day** test. Track scan rate, conversion to email capture, and repeat purchase rate from that email list compared to your general file. If **8% or more** of your shipments generate a scan and **40% or more** of scans convert to an email, the unit economics justify keeping the code on all future packaging. If performance is lower, test different incentive copy on the package or move the code placement.

The broader pattern here is that packaging is no longer inert after the sale. It is a owned media surface with measurable performance, and the cost to activate it is now effectively zero. The brand that treats its packaging as a distribution channel, not just a container, owns a repeatable acquisition loop that does not depend on algorithm changes or ad spend.

## The takeaway

Print a QR code on your packaging that captures an email or prompts a share; the can becomes your owned media.

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## Publisher

**Hako Shikin LLC** — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded 1997. ASI 217876 · DUNS 18-204-6339.
Principal and author: **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA**.

- Author: https://www.huanggoodman.com/about
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