New GS1 Digital Link Standard to Help Brands Connect Consumers with Useful Product Information Online

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. and BRUSSELS, Aug. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GS1^®, the global information standards organization, has ratified a new global Web standard and guideline to help industry optimize the online shopping experience. As businesses begin to deploy solutions leveraging the new standard, called GS1 Digital Link, brands and retailers can Web-enable barcodes and provide consumers with a direct link to brand-authorized product information and content including product images, expiration dates, nutritional data, warranty registration, troubleshooting instructions, discount offers, and more. Additionally, the GS1 Mobile Ready Hero Images guideline standardizes the combination of product images and information viewed on mobile devices.

Developed by an international working group of retailers, brand owners, solution providers, and technology experts, GS1 Digital Link is a digitally-enabled, globally-unique identifier resembling a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or Web address. It leverages the ubiquity of the Web and data carriers, including barcodes or QR codes, to enable solutions that help consumers connect directly to brand-authorized product information instantly via product packaging.

"Accurate product data and information transparency are critical to informing today's purchase decisions," said Carrie Wilkie, senior vice president, standards development, GS1 US^®. "By leveraging GS1 Digital Link, any product can now be automatically connected to the Web and represented in a clear, accurate, consistent format that promotes brand, retailer, and consumer interaction, including robust product engagement opportunities."

For supply chains, GS1 Digital Link can also provide important safety information regarding the transport or disposal of product as well as photographic evidence of a product's chain of custody to help prove authenticity. Pilot projects are now underway, as solution providers and brand owners are already collaborating to upgrade their platforms to support this new standard.

GS1 Mobile Ready Hero Images Guideline

Recognizing the importance of images and clear communication of product information for the mobile shopping experience, the Mobile Ready Hero Images guideline helps brands provide a consistent image experience by specifying best practices for displaying four critical pieces of product information in a standardized format: brand, format, variant, and size. The guideline also provides specifications and recommendations for featuring images on mobile devices.   

"With online shopping growing exponentially, it is essential for industry to collaborate to make product information accessible, accurate and easy to understand. With the ratification of GS1 Digital Link and the GS1 Mobile Ready Hero Images guideline, businesses around the globe will be better-equipped to meet the demands of information hungry consumers," said Robert Beideman, senior vice president, solutions and innovation, GS1.

GS1 Digital Link and the GS1 Mobile Ready Hero Images guideline were developed through the Global Standards Management Process (GSMP), the community-based forum, facilitated by GS1, where businesses facing common problems work together and develop standards-based solutions.

For more information about GS1 US, visit www.gs1us.org and to learn more about GS1 visit www.gs1.org.

Media Contact:
Shannon Sullivan
GS1 US
(609) 620-4534
[email protected]

About GS1 US

GS1 US^®, a member of GS1^® global, is a not-for-profit information standards organization that facilitates industry collaboration to help improve supply chain visibility and efficiency through the use of GS1 Standards, the most widely-used supply chain standards system in the world. Nearly 300,000 businesses in 25 industries rely on GS1 US for trading partner collaboration that optimizes their supply chains, drives cost performance and revenue growth while also enabling regulatory compliance. They achieve these benefits through solutions based on GS1 global unique numbering and identification systems, barcodes, Electronic Product Code-based RFID, data synchronization, and electronic information exchange. GS1 US also manages the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code^® (UNSPSC^®). For more information, visit www.gs1us.org.

About GS1

GS1^® is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation that provides global standards for efficient business communication. We are best known for the barcode, named in 2016 by the BBC as one of "the 50 things that made the world economy." GS1 standards improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains across physical and digital channels in 25 sectors. We enable organisations of all types and sizes to identify, capture and share information seamlessly. Our scale and reach – local Member Organisations in 112 countries, 1.5 million user companies and 5 billion transactions every day – help ensure that GS1 standards create a common language that supports systems and processes across the globe. Find out more at www.gs1.org.

SOURCE GS1 US

Related Links

https://www.gs1us.org