Imagine for a moment that you are standing in front of a vending machine. You tweet your friends about tea, and viola, the machine serves you up a can of iced tea. No, this isn’t a science fiction movie, it’s reality today in South Africa. This brings social media to a whole new level. The machine, affectionately known as Bev (love that it has a woman’s name), has introduced a marketing concept that is a game changer in the social media world. According to the World Tea News, which seems to be able to find tea-related information like no one else, Bev is currently on tour in South Africa. Mastermind Grant Rushmere, co-founder of BOS, says the intention is to have Bev “interact physically with as many people as possible.”
Here’s how this tweeting vending machine works: You step up to the machine and activate your location. You’re then prompted to tweet a hashtag about tea and Bev will dispense an ice-cold can of BOS iced tea. This is a genius concept. It stands to revolutionize the marketing industry. I imagine the cost to get people to try a new product is quite substantial. This machine provides a free can in exchange for social media advertising offered by you. I call that a win/win scenario. Of course, there is a downside – Bev is yet another machine that will replace a human being. Check out the YouTube video.
Do you think Bev will visit us here in the U.S.?
Very cool. That is a brilliant virile marketing concept. Who doesn’t love getting something for free. I would guess that as the word spreads, people will be looking for these machines. If the beverage actually tastes good to boot, they just might have a winner.
My guess is that if it takes off in Africa, it will eventually wind up in the states.
Is there a limit to how many cans you can get by Tweeting? I can imagine a few people who might spend alot of time in front of the machine :) Also, canned tea?
Argh. I know they drink canned tea in Asia as well and I know we have canned tea here. I just can’t imagine wanting it…so they’ve lost me right there.
I know what you mean but we’re talking about the masses – who drink RTD’s regularly………I’m sure there must be some limit to how many cans one can get for free. I’m looking forward to seeing this machine in the States one day.
Imagine tweeting for your meal? LOL