Posted on 03/12/2022 8:02:19 AM PST by BenLurkin
The screens...use a system of motion sensors and cameras to display what's inside the doors — as well as product information, prices, deals and, most appealing to brands, paid advertisements. The tech provides stores with an additional revenue stream and a way to modernize ["modernize"?] the shopping experience.
The company wants to engage more people with advertising, but the reaction, so far, is annoyance and confusion.
"Who on God's green earth thought this was a good idea?" "The digital cooler screens at Walgreens made me watch an ad before it allowed me to know which door held the frozen pizzas,"
Cooler Screens CEO Avakian said he developed the concept after watching in-store customers whip out their phones to find product information and reviews. Traditionally, in-store advertising has been limited to options like signs, promotions and prominent placement on shelves. But Cooler Screens' targeted digital ads deliver at the "moment of truth," Avakian said, right as consumers decide which product to pull out of the fridge.
Brands can place ads spread over multiple freezers, ones that display products' nutritional labels, or ads triggered by weather or time of day. An ice cream company might want to run ads when it's hot outside, while a coffee brand could hit the morning rush.
The setup aims to help stores add high-margin advertising revenue to offset their core low-margin retail business.
Avakian insists the tech is "identity-blind" and protects consumers' privacy. The freezers have front-facing sensors used to anonymously track shoppers interacting with the platform, while internally facing cameras track product inventory.
Some customers have expressed frustration with the experience.
The items on display don't always match up with what's inside because products are out of stock.
"We see advertisements literally everywhere and now I have to go see it on the cooler?"
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
you got it!
i can turn the volume off on our 7 11 gas pumps.and i do!!!
I think it was TBS that ushered in advertising on cable.
Gee, the never could possibly think of spying on what you eat by noticing what you take out of the fridge.....Nah, they’d never think of that.
On most pumps there will be 2 sets of 4 buttons on either side of the video screen. One of these will be the mute button. Usually the one on the bottom right.
I keep a Sharpie in my glove box and when I find the mute, I will mark it as such for other folks to use.
That was back in days when MTV aired music videos.
Does it bring back the $1.92 gas price as shown?
I work with marketing people. They are pissed that there are so many ads now that every ad is lost in the noise. Brand recognition is nearly impossible in all the noise.
One of the chains here has those yacking gas pumps. 2nd button down on the right mutes it.
+1
Yeah, sure. "Good afternoon, Mr. Drill. Those Groucho glasses aren't fooling anyone. We know you're here for another Moon Pie but your Doc sez no way. Would you like a nice stick of celery? Next door over. It's unlocked."
It’s for your own good.
“Nobody was asking that the time spent pumping gas be monetized.”
Things got worse in the 80s when the nozzle size was reduced as leaded gas was removed from the market.
It was so you couldn’t put leaded gas into a non-lead vehicle.
Now it just takes longer to pump a tank. Thank you enviro whackos.
Cooler Screens CEO Avakian said he developed the concept after watching in-store customers whip out their phones to find product information and reviews.
Actually, I was texting my husband to see if he wanted a pizza.
Kroger is thinking about getting these things. Big mistake.
People will be opening up every freezer door trying to find what they want, and ignoring the ads. The electricity bill will be going up.
And some people will be getting angry and taking out their frustrations on the coolers and its contents.
...he developed the concept after watching in-store customers whip out their phones to find product information and reviews
Post of the Month!
I was in a store like this couple months ago
Didn’t understand the buying experience and left...
Well the first hour ever of MTV had commercials.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28399/mtvs-first-hour-air-i-mean-cable
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