Influx

It’s possible that every single surface will soon be turned into a screen of some sort, flashing and blinking messages at us twenty four hours a day. These screens will be inescapable, appearing shortly on end of aisle displays and even on packaging.

While the developers of this technology seems at pains to suggest how efficient and green their solutions are, but compared to what? E-Ink is a giant leap from static packaging and the technology involved in producing it is considerable. Add on the layers of shipping and assembly and you have a production process that is likely to consume a lot of energy.

While early stage advertisers in this new media may not care about the environmental impact of someone else’s technology and be looking for ways to stand out on the shelf, it will be interesting to see if retailers like Wal-Mart endorse this form of packaging, given their stricter demands on the environmental performance of their suppliers.

Posted by Ed Cotton