Coca-Cola UK becomes first beverage brand to pilot Navilens technology for visually impaired

Kes: This reminds me of when I was at MIT and I used the Coke machines as landmarks in my mental map of the campus. This is one of the reasons I claim PWD as the original hackers: it's not so much about the expensive new tech as it is finding ways to use the existing everyday tech to suit your needs. For instance, now a blind shopper can use those Coke displays to orient themselves in a store, or take one can and place it somewhere in an indoor space and use it as a landmark, instead of buying a new expensive NaviLens tag and programming it themselves.


Visually impaired Accessible technology - BingNews - Monday, December 12, 2022, 7:08 AM
Coca-Cola UK becomes first beverage brand to pilot Navilens technology for visually impaired

Coca-Cola has rolled out NaviLens codes across 24x330ml and 30x330ml packs of its Christmas can multipacks, which can be scanned with a mobile phone camera from distances of up to four metres to help blind and partially sighted consumers, and are readable even when unfocused.
The company says it is the UK’s first beverage company to launch on-pack technology for visually impaired shoppers. This follows a successful pilot and roll out of the technology by Kellogg’s (reported in the AIPIA newsletter in June 2021) and Aunt Bessie’s, who rolled out packs with NaviLens codes in September 2022.
NaviLens is similar to a QR code but can be detected in a fraction of the time and up to three metres away. A smartphone can detect the optic, and playback information to the user. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has incorporated the technology onto large Christmas can multipacks. The codes will feature on the cardboard outers.
Marc Powell, RNIB’s Accessibility Innovation Lead, said: “People with sight loss should have the same access and choice as our sighted counterparts, but currently, important information on packaging can often be in very small print, making it difficult or impossible for us to read. Technology such as NaviLens is a game changer and allows blind and partially sighted people to independently access key information on packaging.
“This pilot with Coca-Cola, the first beverage company to launch NaviLens on its packs, highlights how big brands can put accessibility at the forefront of design and packaging decisions and be a real catalyst for change,” he added.
Martin Attock, vice-president of commercial development at CCEP GB, said, “We are proud to be working with NaviLens this year to make our packs and the Coca-Cola brand more inclusive so everyone can enjoy their favourite beverage. This technology is making a huge difference to as many as two million people in the UK who are currently visually impaired.”
Festive-themed sharing packs of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry are in store and feature the Sundblom Santa Claus to drive standout on-shelf. Canned multipacks and large PET bottles will carry QR codes offering shoppers the chance to win pre-loaded ‘Festive Feast’ gift cards worth £200 from Love2Shop – accepted by supermarkets, food aggregators, restaurant chains and more. There are 1,000 gift cards up for grabs.
This article was created in collaboration with AIPIA (the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association). Packaging Europe and AIPIA are joining forces to bring news and commentary about the active and intelligent packaging landscape to a larger audience. To learn more about this partnership,
click here.
https://packagingeurope.com/news/aipia-and-packaging-europe-connect-to-fast-track-smart-packaging-development/7817.article

Gen Z is Reading in New Ways and Seeking More Diversity in Fiction

Kes: And, of course, Gen Z is reading much the same way that many visually impaired people who use technology are also reading.

December 10, 2022
By Michael Kozlowski
Originally posted at
https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/gen-z-is-reading-in-new-ways-and-seeking-more-diversity-in-fiction

Wattpad recently conducted a survey on the reading habits and preferences of Gen Z, and compares them to other generations. The results show that Gen Z loves to read, but they’re doing it their way. They’re reading on their phones, embracing more genres and the importance they place on diverse stories and voices is unmatched by any other generation.

The data signals a generational shift in consumption and attitudes towards fiction. With the rise of webnovels, e-books, webcomics, and other digital formats, Gen Z is normalizing reading on their phones. Today, 67% of Gen Z respondents say they read on their phones, compared to 51% of older generations who say they still prefer turning the page manually on a physical book, magazine or newspaper.

Diversity and access to a wider range of voices in stories they consume is a key consideration for Gen Z overall, across all media. Seventy-nine percent of Gen Z respondents said diversity and representation is important to them when choosing books, movies or other forms of entertainment – significantly more than other generations including Millennials (66%), Gen X (53%) and Boomers (34%). In fact, 60% of Gen Z readers reported looking for books, stories or comics that highlight marginalized groups, much higher than other generations at just 40%.

Not only does Gen Z want more diverse stories, they are celebrating and elevating a wider range of stories overall, embracing more genres than other generations. While older generations are happy to consume genre fare in TV and film, helping to drive massive box office returns on superhero adaptations, they are still less likely than Gen Z to consume genre fiction. Compared to Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, Gen Z readers are embracing more of every genre, including more Fantasy & Sci-fi (42% vs. 30%), Horror (38% vs. 20%), and Superhero/Action (34% vs. 18%). Gen Z also reads more romance compared to other generations, at 43% vs 30%. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z also loves YA, with 50% enjoying the category, compared to only 15% of other generations.

Importantly, Gen Z aren’t just reading more of every genre, they are also reading more or at the same levels as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Among Gen Z surveyed, 35% say they read more today than they did two years ago, while 33% read about the same amount as before. In fact, with so many genres to explore and so much fiction to consume across various on and offline formats, Gen Z maintains strong and regular reading habits with nearly 40% reading daily or a few days each week, and 55% still reading once a week or more.