# NFC Tag Awareness and Its Visual Implementation on Food Packaging: Case Study in Slovenia
## 5 Conclusions  
NFC technology is gaining popularity owing to its ease of use and features. The results of this study offer valuable insights into the use of NFC tags and their visual implementation which can be advantageous for food manufacturers aiming to improve customer engagement. In terms of NFC recognition and knowledge, participants recognized the element but showed little understanding of what it signifies; also, the segmentation among educational levels showed no significant differences. The generations Y and Z are most likely to use it, a finding which provides an understanding of which consumer group the manufacturer should focus on (segmentation based on age and educational attainment). Consumer awareness and usage still need to be higher, as NFC tags are rarely implemented on products. In order to increase consumer engagement with NFC tags, their logo on food packaging should be in a visually distinct color with a quickly understandable invitation to direct the consumer to use the tag and give them immediate satisfaction. The results of the research recommend placing the element in the center of the right side of the packaging and using the invitation to further stimulate its usage. Although NFC technology is still in its early stages, the results can be utilized to shape future applications, which are predicted to rise in the future, particularly in relation to products with added value. The study adds to the scientific understanding of consumer behavior related to smart packaging technologies, offering practical insights into NFC tag visibility and providing a framework for future research and industry application. This study provides actionable guidelines for packaging designers and contributes to the body of knowledge on smart packaging technologies by offering evidence-based strategies to improve consumer interaction and awareness of NFC tags, particularly for younger audiences. _RESEARCH Limitations AND Future Research_  
In order to collect as much information and data for research, different approaches that were possible to implement were considered (online survey, interviews, focus groups, eye-tracking measurements). However, due to low market presence, the confirmation of familiarity with NFC tags was limited. When potential participants approached to take part in the study, they were provided with general information about the scope and study objectives, resulting in some declining to participate in the eye-tracking measurement study and in the interviews due to time constraints. The research was restricted to the Slovenian territory. In the future, we would like to conduct a wider-scale poll, geographically, and also look at how the NFC tag performs on other types of packaging. **Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, T.Z. and D.G.-S.; methodology, T.Z. and D.G.-S.; validation, D.G.-S.; formal analysis, T.Z. ; investigation, T.Z. ; writing--original draft preparation, T.Z. ; writing--review and editing, D.G.-S.; visualization, T.Z. ; supervision, D.G.-S.; funding acquisition, D.G.-S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. **Funding:** This research was funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency [Program P2-0213]. **Institutional Review Board Statement:** Ethical review and approval were waived for this study, due to the study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. This study involved the use of focus groups and online questionnaires to gather participants' insights into a non-sensitive topic. Both methods that were used were non-invasive and posed minimal risk to participants. This study also involved the use of eye tracking, a non-invasive and minimal-risk technology, to monitor gaze patterns during task performance. Eye tracking does not involve physical contact or pose any harm to participants. Informed consent was obtained from all participants before their involvement, and they were fully informed of the study's purpose, procedures, and their right to withdraw at any time.