Sunday, July 24, 2016

Grocery Store Deli’s, Restaurants, and C-stores Flush with Marketing Technology


Does it take to PhD to place a restaurant order today I was asked by an octogenarian.  No, was my answer but I could see her point. She explained that she was forced to push buttons on a pad to place a fast food order with her great grandchildren and was having trouble when one of her grandchildren stepped in to help.  She added all I want to do is talk to someone!  Not to worry I assured her; Amazon will soon be helping her out.  Amazon Echo will become the voice / platform she longs for.

Retailers today can’t jump on the augmented reality platform fast enough.  Consumer adoption of the augmented reality game Pokémon Go is just the latest marketing tool in retail foodservice marketer’s tool kit. Marketing technology has grown from Online Ordering, Mobile Ordering, hand held messaging, and now augmented gaming.  Retailer’s ability to interact with customers driving one on one or family branded participation has never been greater. 

Many Social media reports reveal that “Pokémon Go players are making their restaurant choices based on the availability of Pokémon in the area. And, restaurants are using that fact to attract customers. 
The game, which launched less than a month ago, requires users to go to specific sites to "catch" Pokémon. These sites can be anywhere from hospitals, to abandoned hot dogs stands, to a vast array of restaurants.

Augmented reality games the ilk Pokémon have three key drivers going for it; nostalgia, real time interaction relevance, and fun familiar characters.   Specifically the game appeals to Millennials, who remember playing Pokemon on their Game Boys back in the day.  In addition to a new crop of gamers who are always looking for something new. Remember Super Mario, Barbie, and the Ninja Turtles, there are few cultural icons with such staying power.” Look for other legacy games to develop augmented versions driving this marketing platform for the next five years. 
But then what? That’s easy. Virtual reality shopping with via your Amazon Echo that will be complemented with your Amazon Virtual Reality glasses. O’ that just what our team believes.  However Facebooks Oculus games and Microsoft Hololens are both driving forward with its consumer headset that allows consumers to get totally immersed in a platform.  Gaming, travel, and retail outlets will have the ability via virtual reality to allow a consumer to view in real time the cooking of your meal, watch the delivery, or scan the fields where food came from.  7-Eleven was the first company to deliver Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food via Drone
What is your company doing to garner the next wave of customers?  I hope you are not building larger and larger stores expecting consumers to walk in walk around and spend hours shopping?  I hope you are not building a kitchen in the back of the restaurant without cameras. The next wave of food retail may just be come a chair in the dining room, a couch in the living room or a park bench waiting for a drove picnic lunch delivery.

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom line profits.  Are you Looking A Customer Ahead?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  or Contact Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.  Remember Success does leave clue and we just may have the right clue for you.  

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