Barilla Case Study - Be My Eyes for Business

Barilla Supports the Blind and Low Vision Community Through Accessible Packaging and Live Visual Support

Barilla, a global leader in pasta, partnered with Be My Eyes back in 2019 to create the first-of-its-kind accessible packaging experience for blind and low-vision consumers. The initiative aligns with Barilla’s longstanding commitment to inclusivity, access to nutritious food, and customer empowerment.

The Challenge & Objective

The Challenge

 

While Barilla sought to make its packaging more accessible for blind and low-vision consumers, every solution they explored required costly and complex redesigns. Consumers frequently contacted Barilla’s call center for help reading expiration dates, cooking instructions, or identifying pasta cuts; all tasks that rely heavily on sight.

 

Barilla needed a solution that was scalable, seamless, and actually helpful to those with visual impairments.

 

The Objective

 

Barilla was committed to making its products accessible to all customers, including those with visual impairments, without compromising the quality or design of its iconic packaging. They recognized that accessibility needed to be practical, user-friendly, and scalable to have a meaningful impact.

 

With this in mind, Barilla was looking for a solution that could:

Boost productivity - blue icon of tick inside circle
Improve accessibility of its packaging
Seamless assistance - icon of head icon with headset
Decrease call center load and improve resolution times
Enhance brand perception and customer satisfaction
Innovation that fits - heart icon with gear icon surrounding it
Seamlessly integrate into existing consumer habits

The Solution

Barilla connected with Be My Eyes and became the first food company to join the Be My Eyes Service Connect platform, enabling their customers to get real-time support from “Pasta Professionals” on questions ranging from identifying pasta types to reading expiration dates.

 

To scale this capability further, QR codes were printed on ten of Barilla’s most popular pasta products, including Spaghetti, Rigatoni, and Penne. Scanning the QR code launches the Be My Eyes app, immediately connecting the user to a Barilla expert.

 

This approach turned Barilla’s packaging into a live visual access point, allowing any customer to get support for visual product information.

Results

The impact of this innovative collaboration rippled across customer service, brand equity, and consumer trust.

 

– Opportunity for 50% of previous call center inquiries to now be visual in nature through support from Be My Eyes

 

– Instant visual connection reduces time-to-resolution and improves customer experience

 

– Universal QR code placement makes product interaction intuitive and inclusive

 

– Customers without impairments also benefit from the accessible support feature