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Pepsi Creates a Social Network Vending Machine
RedEaredSlider writes "Now even vending machines are getting in on the social media act. Pepsi has rolled out a new machine that can send a soda to a friend, using a Facebook-like functionality. From the article: 'Along with buying a soda with either cash or credit, the Social Vending System allows people to send a user a soda as a gift. All they have to do is enter the recipient's name, mobile number and a personalized text message. Consumers can even send a video along with the gift. Once received, the recipient will learn where they can redeem it.'"
how far would you go to get a free soda?
I could see a lot of malls and other establishments that want more foot traffic buying into this.
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
This social networking fad eats itself.
How many different media outlets are we expected to join? Do I have to watch for cameras leeching my password off a soda machine outside Walmart now?
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.
I call "social networking bubble". Where can I short-sell?
We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
Their "Random Acts of Refreshment" is a neat idea and I'd like to take part in it, but not only do I seriously doubt I'll ever see one of these in my town but how would I know Pepsi isn't just keeping the money I give them to get some stranger a free soda?
Great. Send a friend a soda. When will the social networking hoopla simply die?
Now you can send soda to an enemy using facesmash-like functionality.
A soda machine that can be remotely hacked to shoot cans/bottles at random passersby. Maybe it'll even be able to identify individuals by their smart phones and take out specific people!
Forget 'Have a Coke and a smile,' it's time to 'Have a Pepsi and a concussion!'
When someone says, "Any fool can see
How long until we get a story about how someone totally empties one of these without paying for a single one?
What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
When will antisocial people like me get a fair share of these wonderful innovations? I'm still waiting for that antisocial phone, BTW.
Grammar nazis are to this community what excrements are to gold.
I've had quite a few times that I didn't have change and wanted a soda. If I could send myself a soda (paid by credit card, or Google Checkout, or whatever) and walk up to a machine and enter a code to get it, I'd probably do it. Other vending items would work as well.
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
Previously, I had to buy two sodas, and then hand one of the sodas to friend.
With the magic of social networking and Pepsi, now I only have two buy two sodas, enter a phone number, enter a greeting, record a video, and send a free soda code to a friend's mobile device, which they can use to access the same machine and retrieve a free soda.
"...the recipient will learn where they can redeem it.'" Steal a phone, send someone in address book to a machine in a dark alley and be waiting for them.
And the Farmville tie in.
...but we were beat by a Pepsi
Can I press a different button to have someone DENIED a soda next time they put their money in a Pepsi machine?
No refund. Nada.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
A real friend would send me a Coke.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Dumb idea for soda, but could have possibilities if done with beer.
Someone sent you some high fructose corn syrup, I mean, some corn sugar!
With friends like these...
Student athletes competing for a spot on the team, sending repeated gifts of vending machine sodas and cream pies to their rivals a couple weeks before cut day
Don't every buy soft drinks, doubly so for those laden with High Fructose Corn Syrup!
I've seen patients with massive subluxations tied to the nerves which feed the pancreas! After several weeks of intense adjustments, with special attention to the subluxation, we were able to reduce the pancreatic damage caused by HFCS.
NEVER TOUCH THE STUFF!
Chiropractic Saves Lives!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
This might have come as it was announced. Appropriate nonetheless.
http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/042011/soda-machine-button.gif
It sounds like all this machine does is send a text message to the specified recipient with a code they can punch in to redeem their soda. The article doesn't specify if these machines are networked together or if you can only redeem the soda at the machine the gift was originally purchased at.
This seems a lot like the way the car wash works at my local gas station. I buy a car wash at the pump and it prints out a redeemable code on my receipt; the only difference being that the code is sent via SMS instead of printed locally.
It seems like they could take this even farther by adding the ability to purchase drink codes online, or over the phone. Why stop there, lets make gift cards that only work at vending machines; or even better, thumb print recognition for the gift card account.
I think the genius part of this idea is that every time a consumer send a Pepsi to a friend, Pepsi captures that mobile phone number and can then send their own marketing alerts to that person.
It's a great idea for Pepsi, but outside of the novelty of sending a Pepsi to someone by SMS, I don't really see this becoming very popular. Maybe in Middle Schools?
Now Pepsi has your name, phone number, location, and favorite beverage!
Don't you know, how hard it is to get mobile numbers of people? They're not in the usual standard listings...
But Pepsi will be happy to sell their data for a fee!!
The FBI must love this - think of the consequences on the Witness Protection Program!
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
Anyone else picturing that 7UP commercial with the machine on the tank treads shooting cans at people? I know I am, I would be happy to buy Pepsi for friends if I'm able to launch the soda at them from the machine.
Cannot find REALITY.SYS. Universe halted.
This begins to explain the idea behind bottle caps as currency I suppose....
Respond to this message with the word "Coke."
"Why don't you boys have yourselves a Pepsi!"
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
can I get the machine to withhold soda from someone? Better yet, can I get the machine to travel to a friend's house and steal their soda? I'd pay extra for that!
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
OMG, Please tell me there's an API for this! Like my blog? >Buy me a soda!
But clearly you have something better to say...
Two things, not directly related, but still brought back some fond memories:
1) I remember as a kid 'hacking' the soda machines so that you could get free pop. Some, similar to the old arcade machines, would simply take a hit or two in the right place to provide the goods - whereas with others you would have to reach up into the dispenser and try to get the can without it being punctured (not as easy as it sounds). Not to mention the whole 'coin on fishing line or tape' thing (which was applicable to any vending machine for that matter).
2) In the early days of the Internet (80s), you could finger coffee and soda machines to see what the current status was (stock levels, fortunes, or just motd type stuff). I think there was a toaster too, though I can't remember now. Cool stuff at the time (well, I thought so, anyway!).
Thanks for reminding me of just how old I am! Get off my lawn! :-)
that's a lot of work for a soda.
Your body thanks you every time you want a Pepsi but don't have the change.
so being social is:
- Being holed up in your room in front of a big bright blue screen
- "Liking" things that you would scoff at if presented to IRL
- Wasting your time watering plants that probably won't result in anything tangible whatsoever
- If you manage to get out of the house, stare at the small bright blue screen all the way until you reach another big bright blue screen
- Tasing someone who pokes you in reality
- AND NOW, going to the vending machine, dying of thirst and bleeding out of your parched throat, only to find out that you just paid for a cola for Joe in Anchorage, AK with your last dollar bill.
Clap clap clap.
Would you take investment advice from someone who confuses "where" with "what"?
No, but I would take investment advice from someone who knows 1. investing and 2. asking and answering smart questions. Here, the replacement of "where" with "what" reframed the discussion from the step to the goal.
How long until Pepsi does the same thing? "Send Velma a can of Pepsi for her birthday....". Hope she's not a diabetic.
Couldn't Pepsi just expose a preference for people to convert incoming Pepsi orders to Diet Pepsi or Pepsi Max orders?
They'd never come up with something so ridiculous. I can see someone standing in front of a Pepsi machine now...
PM: Would you like to send a soda to a friend?
Customer: Sure! *hits yes button*
PM: Please enter friend's text-message receiving phone number.
Customer: Ok! *whips out cell phone*
*navigates to address book*
*looks for friend's name*
*sees three iterations of friend's entry, all of which have different numbers*
Hhmmmm...which one was the number they use now? Oh, I know! I'll just check recent texts to see which one they used to text me last!
*navigates to texts*
*searches through texts to find one from friend*
*starts entering that number into machine*
703-34-AH, DAMN! It's 6, not 4! Where's the backspace button? No backspace? Fine, I'll just hit clear and start over...
*repeat seven times*
703-867-5309, Enter.
PM: Session has timed out. Soda not sent. Thank you for purchasing from Pepsi, have a good day!
Customer: FFFFUUUUUUUUUUU-!!!!!!!
That sounds like VendoNet Inc. Patent RE 41543, is Pepsi Licensed under that Patent?