Machine Exchanges Goods for Social Media Actions

Tech startup SocialVend has launched a vending machine which provides consumers with physical rewards in exchange for answering questions or posting to Instagram with a brand's hashtag, using their mobile devices.

London-based Social Vend has developed the new 'vendmini' machine for experiential activations, marketing campaigns, in-store sampling and promotional giveaways. The machine boast a 24-inch multi-touch screen that plays branded content when not in use. Integrated with Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, vendmini is activated directly from consumers' mobile devices, and rewards individuals for making a social media action with items including product samples, cosmetics, promotional giveaways, gift cards and more.

Using a combination of visual multiple choice selection and facial recognition data, vendmini gathers insights in to consumer behaviour while engaging the user in a 'fun' way, so as to minimise the feeling that they are involved with market research or are giving their information away. Researchers can also use it to run surveys and data-capturing market research initiatives, and provide clients with resulting campaign analytics.

CEO and co-founder Andrew Theodore explains: 'Our system constantly scours social networks for uses of the brands #tag and matches the posts with the user at the machine, rewarding them with a physical gift for their social action. In turn, brand awareness increases to all of that user's friends, creating immediate, extended brand engagement and building lasting brand affinity'.

Web site: www.socialvend.com .