Intel Teams Up with Kraft Foods, HSN, and Macy's on Retail Solutions
At the National Retail Federation's Big Show in New York this week, Intel showcased its collaborative work with major retailers including HSN, Kraft Foods, and Macy's on delivering more entertaining and information-rich experiences to consumers.
"Today's consumers are increasingly mobile, connected, and inundated with information," says Michelle Tinsley, general manager of Intel's Personal Solutions Division. "As a result, retailers are searching for new ways to deliver more personalized brand interactions that effectively reach their target audience. Intel is working with these industry leaders to drive the transformation of shopping through high-tech retail solutions that will change how brands engage and connect with shoppers."
Using Intel's Audience Impression Metric suite (AIM), Kraft Foods and Intel developed the Diji-Taste Sampling Experience, an interactive station that distributes samples of Temptations by Jell-O deserts solely to adults who stand in front of the vending machine.
Based on its AIM system, if the machine determines that a child is attempting to access the desserts, it flashes a message that reads "please remove the child from the vicinity," explains Edward Kaczmarek, director of innovation and consumer experiences at Kraft Foods.
"Adults just laugh and nudge the child aside," Kaczmarek says. "Since we don't want one person getting twenty samples, we put a unique identifier in so you can either send a text for a code or you can use Google Wallet."
The process of viewing the selections and receiving the dessert sample takes approximately two minutes, and the machine contains enough samples to last an entire day, according to Kaczmarek.
As the sample makes it way to the chute, the station reinforces the product's message by flashing the statements "Indulgence is just a moment away" and "We trust you won't share it with any children."
"Ultimately, people are delighted by the experience, and then it's like the crescendo of taste, which gives us that emotional connection," Kaczmarek notes.
The machine can be programmed to display new content as well, and includes analytical reporting on gender, which samples are viewed the longest, most selected, and when the machine is most frequently used. The Diji-Taste station is currently at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and South Street Seaport in New York.
Macy's developed an online information station with Intel—the Beauty Spot—which gives shoppers detailed information about beauty products which they can then choose to purchase, as well as information about cosmetic trends and seasonal promotions that can be emailed to their mobile devices.
Intel collaborated with HSN to develop an interactive touchwall that encapsulates all of HSN's recent digital campaigns—mobile, gaming, and social—into a shopping experience that can be offered virtually anywhere.