# NFC Tag Awareness and Its Visual Implementation on Food Packaging: Case Study in Slovenia
## 2 Materials and Methods  
The research started with a preliminary survey of the professional public (N = 10) to acquire an overview of NFC tag usage in the Slovenian market context. Subsequently, an online survey was conducted using the tool www.mojaanketa.si (MojaAnketa.si, Slovenia; URL accessed from 15 January till 15 February 2020) to test knowledge, usage, and NFC tag placements (Group 1--online survey: N = 164). The participants in the online survey were segmented according to age (generations) and level of education (Table 1). Generations defined by birth year included Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), Generation Y (1981-1996), and Generation Z (1997-2012). Three levels of education were relevant, i.e., primary school or lower (below level 5), high school or bachelor's degree (level 5 and 6/1), master's degree or higher (level 6/2 and above). To ensure a diverse audience, the survey was distributed via email with the assistance of known contacts, the contact database of the student-faculty office, and through social networks and communities (Facebook, LinkedIn). The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the knowledge and use of NFC tags in Slovenia and to evaluate the effectiveness of the design and placement of the smart element on the packaging. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions. Questions about knowledge and recognition of NFC tag included: \"do you recognize the NFC logo?, \"have you ever heard of NFC?\", \"are you familiar with the NFC technology?\", \"how does the NFC technology work\"?, \"do you have an NFC protocol on your mobile phone?\", \"where have you encountered NFC tags?\", \"do you use NFC technology for payment?\", \"do you use NFC technology for information gathering?\", \"what kind of information could be provided through the NFC tag?\". The questionnaire also included two graphic layouts: a familiar packaging design in Slovenian market (the recognized brand Alpsko) and a fictitious packaging design (Natalis) for additional and control verification. Respondents were asked about the placement of the NFC tag, whether an invitation or explanation to interact with the tag was needed, if the tag should be differentiated by color, and where the most suitable position of the NFC tag on the packaging would be. The usage of the NFC tag was also tested with short interviews that were conducted before the eye-tracking measurements (Group 2--interviews and eye-tracking: N = 34). The purpose of the short interview was to gather information about the respondents' knowledge of NFC technology. For this purpose, we created an NFC tag sticker that linked to a website. With the functioning NFC tag, we aimed to observe how respondents reacted to the tag--whether they recognized it, whether their phones were equipped with the necessary protocol, if they actually scanned the tag, and whether they used NFC technology in general. Furthermore, the tag placement was discussed in focus groups (Group 3--focus groups: N = 50) and measured with eye-tracking system (Table 1). In Table 1, we decided to present both groups (Group 1 and Group 2) together based on the need to highlight trends related to education and age which were similar and showed little variation between the two groups, despite the fact that different research methods were used and the number of respondents differed. Combining the groups allowed us to provide a broader, more comprehensive view of these key demographic factors and their influence on the study's outcomes. A preliminary survey with the professional public revealed that NFC adoption in market contexts was low. Therefore, the work through focus groups, interviews, and eye-tracking assessments was conducted on students, because the younger generation represents the sample of potential future consumers. Students were recruited with the assistance of the student-faculty office. The data collected were fully anonymized, and participants gave informed consent after being briefed about the purpose of the study and their rights.