How Smart Vending Machines Make Brand Experiences More Engaging

A brand activation includes building excitement, causing some attention rush and subsequently engaging the target audience in a tangible manner. Within such context, particularly as marketing campaigns become more engaging and hands-on, smart vending machines have become one of the most effective marketing tools in branding efforts. Bye-bye boring vending machines; these machines enhance the level of interactivity indeed and provide an unforgettable immersion experience.

At The Machine Company, we have collaborated with global companies to shift their usual activations into the new digital age; smart vending machines are used to create never before seen interactions with consumers. Here’s how these machines are making a difference in brand activations:

Netflix x Squid Game: Smart Vending Machine Experiential Activation

Engagement And Instant Gratification

Today’s consumer behavior is such that people want experiences that come with instant rewards especially bydousing efforts into activities. This is where the smart vending machine comes into play instant gratification can be in form of products such as samples and exclusive items or even awarding points to the consumer through interactive touch screens or the game aspects of it.

The Machine Company executed a roll-out of interactive erection vending machines for a global beverage company at, say, one of the biggest music festivals. The festival attendees could either play a short game, scan their social media pages or use a phone application to order for a personalized drink made to their liking. This led to a great and enjoyable experience as well as increased online and on site participation.

Gamify and create those shareable moments For example, in marketing.

Clearpay: : Smart Vending Machine Experiential Activation

Gamification is one of the tried and tested forms of increasing the level of interaction with end users, and smart vending machines have great potential in brand expedition by adding game-like interactive features. By gamifying the award system and presenting alluring treats as the objective, brands can foster brand loyalty, enhance dwell time and stimulate sharing.

One of our most popular activations was a scavenger hunt, for which a famous sports apparel brand decided to use The Machine Company’s vending machines and hold it during a sporting event. Users were guided by social media of the brand to search for various clues, and the first few people who managed to find the vending machines and completed a simple puzzle were handed with the branded event merchandise. The gamified scenario led to a surge in content generation by the users and even expanded the brand’s coverage to more than the event.

Market segmentation of consumers: why should the consumers care?

One of the most important ways in which brands manage to build a relationship with consumers is through the use of personalized marketing. Promont designed smart vending machines connected to the internet and utilizing data that allow a brand to engage a customer at a more individual level. These machines have features that provide customized rewards based on analyzing user preferences or allowing them to share their preferences.

During an experiential activation of a skincare brand, The Machine Company offered smart vending machines to the participants that provided customized solutions fractured by their inputs. Using a touch screen, consumers filled in a few fast-response questions and got skincare samples based on their indicated answers. This addition was not only a source of enjoyment among the participants but also helped to foster the relationship between the brand and the consumers.

Digital and Physical Engagement can Exist Within the Same Environment

Elemis: : Smart Vending Machine Experiential Activation

Among the most significant caps that the smart vending machines have is to safely capture the two worlds of online engagement and offline engagement. These machines can be accompanied by social networks, mobile applications, and other means of digital communication for the consumers to interact with the brand online and afterward partake with the brand in the physical world.

For example, at a tech industry event, The Machine Company partnered with a multinational electronic company to provide vending machines offering special goods for social media interactions. Participants were directed to the company’s Twitter account and were instructed to tweet or search for a brand’s photo posted on Instagram by a certain tag in order to receive a rare collectible. This new approach of consistent marketing both in the real world and online not only helped create more brand awareness but also broadened the reach of the activation to the online world.

Merrell: : Smart Vending Machine Experiential Activation

Making the Most From Brand Exposure in an Event

Consumers can be bombarded in a large event, trade show or festival due to the presence of numerous competing brands looking for their attention. Bausher also emphasized the popularity of vending machines in a congested environment due to their enhanced experience that attracts more people to the brands.

In a case study of how The Machine Company enhanced a popular entertainment brand in a film premiere, vending machines were strategically placed at the film premiere event. People were able to engage in a zeigeist analysis about a film and also get souvenirs related to the brand. The photographs of students interacting with the vending machines generated a lot of interest towards the brand.