IoT Applications: Vending Machines of the Future
From home controls to healthcare areas, the sophistication of the Internet of Things (IoT) has covered most aspects of daily living; and now it comes to re-defining the relationship between brands and customers with vending machines. Once restricted to the business of giving out fast food and beverages, these machines have now metamorphosed into data-gathering with an interface to provide information in real-time, a relevant service level and an integrated branding approach.
The The Machine Company has been involved in understanding how IOT improves smart vending machines, creating new dynamics in the way brands relate with their targeted audience. Here is IoT making an impact:
Harrods: : Smart Vending Machine Experiential Activation
Seamlessness Connectivity to Foster Instant Interaction
With Smart vending machines employing the IoT, these machines are no longer standalone, rather, they are internet connected with other devices and systems effectively linking to them in near real time. This connection provides a window for the brands to conduct instant and effective interactions with their customers. As such, the vending machines, which are IOT-operated, can utilize facial recognition, social logins or QR codes that identify a user and remember what they liked and the information that they received to make the experience more suited for them.
The Machine Company successfully implemented a case with a cosmetics company where the company offered beauty products using IoT powered vending machines at an event. Once a QR code was scanned, the device assessed the skin of the user and suggested a particular product which was a value adding and memorable experience.
Moving Towards Data Collection and Personalization at Scale
Mc Donalds: : Smart Vending Machine Experiential Activation
The internet of things offers a great deal of potential in terms of massive real-time data. Similar to the machine, a smart vending machine can keep track of how a customer interacts with the machine and what she chooses, as well as certain contextual factors, such as the time of day, and store that information in the cloud. Such data helps companies comprehend their audiences better enabling them to target the followers with various messages, promotions or products.
In the latest case study done by The Machine Company, in collaboration with one of the sportswear manufacturers, the company was able to make use of the vending machines to market the products through the user behavioral patterns. The machine was able to remember how users interacted with the brand on different occasions and adjusted the prospects accordingly rewarding them for their hustle, engagement and activity with the brand keeping them happier and stickier to the brand.
Dirty Lemon: Smart Vending Machine Experiential Activation
Control Over Vending Machines and Performance Monitoring
For retail operators who adopt smart vending machines on a large scale, the option of accessing machines and monitoring their status centrally becomes priceless. This also helps reduce the machine’s downtime and improve consumers’ experience as the brand can manage its machines, control inventory levels, detect machine faults as well as update the machine’s software or content over IoT technology.
To take a particular example: a worldwide beverage company employed The Machine Company’s vending machines with IoT technology as a tool to control stock and performance in several cities during one major event. The remote monitoring enabled the brand to ensure that vending machines were stocked with all products and available for usage and this translated to uniform customer experience at different locations.
Advantage of Better Engagement with Consumers
The information offered by the IoT is not only beneficial to the brands but rather improves also the user services by facilitating more convenient and interactive vending options. Smart vending machines equipped with such facilities like touchless payments, mobile applications, and intelligent product suggestions are becoming even more user-friendly.
For instance, The Machine Company has a client, which is a global tech company, that utilized IoT enabled vending machines at a conference to sell limited edition devices. Those that wanted some of those devices could make a reservation via an application and later collect it from the vending machine with their phones. This seamless process for the users made them comfortable and fostered positive engagements with the brand.
Sustainability Enhancements through IOT
Every year, IWCA has addressed such issue as a social responsibility on improvement of sustainability by using smart vending machines that offer information about their products used or even wasted. This information is useful in preventing excessive production and help in effective distribution with less effect on the environment.
Thus in one of our recent projects we worked with a brand of sustainable clothes which had end users of its products user IoT vending machines to sell green products at an event. The machines were able to monitor the trends of most wanted products and reorder only the necessary quantity of the stock, meaning opportunities for waste were limited and only the right products are offered for dispensing.
