Building Your Brand with Retail Vending Machines

Looking for a unique, eye-catching and even publicity-worthy way of offering your products? Retail vending could be right up your alley. Vending isn’t just for food and beverages anymore; today, they’ve become recognized as a convenient, cost-effective, customer-friendly solution for businesses providing a wide range of products.

Vending machines take your brand from the local landscape and allow you to cast your marketing net over a wider area. Portable enough to be located just about anywhere there’s electricity, retail vending machines can be customized to feature your brand logo or slogan and to promote sales and special offers, and IDS’ iQ technology lets business owners track inventory remotely so keeping machines well-stocked and responding to fluctuations in customer demand is a snap.

In addition to sales, custom retail vending can also help you track inventory of on-site supplies used in your business. For instance, many companies have begun using tool vending machines at their manufacturing facilities to track tool use and reduce the risk of theft.

Another advantage: Retail vending is still a relatively new concept, which means that if your company decides to use the technology, there’s a good chance you can use it to gain media attention for your company and your product. That means more exposure and greater customer interest, both of which can play an important role in building your brand and driving sales.

Tool Vending For Impromptu DIY

Increasingly, the world of vending machines is less and less about snack foods and sodas and more about functional items. Last week we discussed vending dental hygiene products and that is just one of the many things now being sold in vending machines.

Rest stops along the highway have taken an innovative measure and began offering basic tools and important car parts for quick DIY auto repairs in transit. In some ways this development makes complete sense. Often people break down on long car trips and with no one local to come help them, they need to get their cars at least functional enough to get it to a repair shop. With these remote reservoirs of auto repair items, you can get your car working enough to bring it to a professional.

Of course, smart tool vending machines are still not quite the norm yet. As markets expand, though, and people begin to see real profits from DIY tool vending machines and other random supply needs, you will see newer and more innovative vending machine options. It is a great development to be able to handle all sorts of maintenance needs as they come up. With these easy vending machines you can offer customers all manners of tools and parts as needs present themselves.

IDS Breaks from Vending Machine Norms

If you’ve learned anything here at our blog it’s that you can do just about anything with a vending machine –in terms of retail that is. And if you’ve ever been to Japan, you know there is literally a vending machine for anything and everything under the sun. It’s incredible seeing stories in the news about the unique vending machines here in our own country. We’re slowly learning to branch out and recognize the true potential of these amazing machines.

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions is all about breaking stereotypes of ordinary vending machines. Sure they can make you a vending machine that sells soda and candy if that’s what you want. But they’re not afraid to design office vending machines that dish out notepads and pens or tool vending machines with hammers and safety goggles. If you can envision it, they can make it. You’d be amazed at some of the ideas people come up with. How about a vending machine dispensing printer supplies? Or fashion accessories? They’ve done it!

We challenge you to come up with an inventive idea for your own vending machines. We promise no idea is too weird or too out there. Vending machine solutions are convenient and affordable tools that can bring merchandise to a large customer base. What new and awesome idea will you come up with?

Coke in Vending Machines

vending machinesEvery morning I hear the crack of a Coke can being popped by my cubicle neighbor. Some people like orange juice in the morning, some people like milk, he likes Coke. I look over and jeer at him; we laugh it off. But deep down, I can’t blame him. I know that Coke is a product that will stand the test of time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Coke exists in vending machines in five hundred years.

Unless they change it a little. Or tax it into oblivion, an idea which Michael Bloomberg and Michelle Obama have kicked around in the past. But I doubt that will happen. Sure, they might make it more “natural” if you can’t taste the difference, but chances are Coke will be in vending machines of the future as it is today.

Coca-Cola has had a rich history since it’s invention. Back in 1886 it was believed that carbonated water was good for health, which is why Coca-Cola was found in pharmacies and soda fountains. When they tried changing the formula in 1985, to make New Coke in custom vending machines, the backlash was incredible. Southerners especially felt as though part of their regional identity had changed. By the early ’90s when the name changed to Coke II, it was already too late. People preferred their Coca-Cola Classic. This year, they dropped the Classic, because everybody knows there’s only one Coca-Cola.