Pepsi's next-gen vending machines sell beverages and social networking

by Steven Mostyn - Apr 29 2011, 12:45

Ever the soft-drinks bridesmaid to a certain other brand of cola, PepsiCo is expanding its global marketing strategy in an effort to meld social networking with conventional standalone vending machines.

Pepsi’s next generation of vending machines won’t just spit out cans and bottles in return for coinage, it will also enable customers to send text messages, record videos and even buy drinks for other people around the world.

We kid you not, this isn’t a belated April Fool—we checked.

“Our vision is to use innovative technology to empower consumers and create new ways for them to engage with our brands, their social networks and each other at the point of purchase,” outlined Mike Durham, chief innovation officer at PespiCo.

“Social Vending extends our consumers’ social networks beyond the confines of their own devices and transforms a static, transaction-oriented experience into something fun and exiting they’ll want to return to, again and again.”

The new Social Vending System machines will come equipped with large touch-screen interfaces, which will enable gift-giving customers to not only tap in the details of the drink’s lucky recipient, but even send them a greeting message and/or personal video.

Once purchased, the recipient receives their message along with a special code, with which they can redeem their lovely beverage the next time they happen upon a compatible machine.

Related reports suggest Pepsi is already holding talks with both Facebook and Twitter in order to introduce even more layered social networking aspects into its new breed of machines.

PepsiCo is currently showing off its latest vending machine technology at the National Automatic Merchandising Association’s One Show in Chicago.

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