Pepsi Gets Social

Yesterday, Wednesday April 27, PepsiCo announced the launch of a new vending machine. It is called the Social Vending Machine and a prototype is set to be released on April 27-29 at the National Automatic Merchandising Association’s One Show in Chicago.

After watching the demonstration video, my mind was blown. The vending machine does not only feature state-of-the-art technology for vending machines, but it is now a social media outlet. There are three options on the machine: buy yourself a drink, gift a drink, and connect with Pepsi’s philanthropic community “Pepsi Refresh”.

The most interesting aspect of this machine is the gift a drink option. Basically, you press the option and it takes you through steps to connect to whoever you want to buy a Pepsi for. You then write a message and you have the option to record a message. The person you are gifting receives an e-mail or text with a redemption code and with that he or she can pick up a Pepsi beverage.

Think about what this means for the future. Can you imagine a time where you meet a future employer and gift them on a hot summer day with a refreshing Pepsi drink? As technology is growing I cannot help but think that little actions like this will be more than acceptable in a professional world, or at least in the social media world.