Girlswalker.com brands vending for their demographic

Written by: Rebecca Milner on January 19, 2009 at 10:28 pm | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS | No Comments

Branding, the media contents company behind the ultra-popular fashion website girlswalker.com and the influential Tokyo Girls Collection, has decided to add vending machines to its growing empire—a first for both the IT and fashion industries. Girlswalker.com branded vending machines will soon start appearing at train stations, universities, amusement parks etc around the country, reaching a goal of 3,000 by mid this year.

The vending machines will carry mineral water, ice teas (and other girl and young women-friendly products) plus original products created in collaboration with popular fashion brands or in honor of girlswalker.com promotional campaigns. With this move, Branding hopes not only to raise their presence but also to build on their thus far successful framework of communication and retail cross business enterprise.

Branding also recently announced that this season’s Tokyo Girls Collection will team up with copycat event the Shibuya Girls Collection (organized by T-Garden) to offer a two-day joint ticket. The events will be held back to back over the March 7th to 8th weekend at the National Stadium in Harajuku.

While the TGC is moving towards a more up-market audience with the inclusion of select shops, the SGC remains true to its “gyaru” roots with a roster of purely Shibuya 109 brands. And 109-2 brands—as the SGC (despite the “girls” in the name) will also feature five menswear brands from 109’s big brother store.

Tags: Events, Fashion, Marketing, Vending Machines
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION, MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Taspo rules bring retail back to tobacco

Written by: Michael Keferl on January 2, 2009 at 1:54 pm | In MARKETING IDEAS | 1 Comment

Last summer, the Japanese tobacco industry imposed a rather large burden on itself by requiring the use of Taspo (tobacco passport), an RFID identification and payment card, for adults to purchase tobacco from vending machines. While the cards require photo registration my mail, the benefit is that they can also act as cash for purchases much like PASMO, Nanaco, and other e-money.

However, despite heaps of money spent on Taspo awareness through flyers, advertising, and hands-on a marketing campaigns, most Japanese smokers aren’t signing up for the card. As a result, vending machines are losing revenue, smokers are frustrated, and convenience stores are happily picking up the slack.

While Japan has tobacco vending machines just about anywhere, rendering all of them inoperable to most of the public has driven the market back to retail. Japan used to be littered with tiny tobacco shops that sold its wares out of a small window, but these storefronts dwindled and were eventually replaced by vending machines. Now the shops are coming back, and brands are making it their new business to focus on making the shops look as spiffy as possible.

The shop above (on the left) is in Harajuku, and surrounded by what used to be busy vending machines. Now it has a brand new interior and exterior, plus staff inside to sell their wares. For marketers, this is a new opportunity to connect with customers in a way that they couldn’t with vending machines. New campaigns, free gifts, and other benefits are simple with small retail spaces.

Of course, this will all be contingent on where the government and tobacco industry go from here: Whether driver’s licenses are eventually allowed to be used at the machines, they relax the rules (unlikely), or if they reinforce an already ridiculous policy by requiring Taspo at retail locations as well.

Tags: RFID, Taspo, Tobacco, Vending Machines
Category: MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Veggie Vendor for busy city slickers

Written by: Michael Keferl on July 3, 2008 at 1:01 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | 13 Comments

Sven shot these photos and sent them to me, and I assumed immediately that they were from his recent trip out into the countryside. I was wrong.

After all the fuss we’ve made lately about vending machines dispensing Smart Cars, to our PingMag Vending Machine Extravaganza, it’s actually a bit shocking to see something so basic made available in this way.

Yes, this is a vending machine in Tokyo that dispenses fresh vegetables. Not sure on whether it’s refrigerated or not, but when it’s 3 a.m. and you’re fiending for some broccoli, I doubt you’ll care too much.

Of course, in the end this is all about convenience. Commuters on their way home can grab some fresh goods without stopping by the market, and the prices seem reasonable enough. Once someone figures out how to grow the produce inside from the beginning we’ll be well on our way to vending machine farms dotting the roadways. Perhaps live chickens selling eggs?

Tags: Vegetables, Vending Machines
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Smart Vendor car vending machine in Shibuya

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 16, 2008 at 1:46 am | In MARKETING IDEAS | 24 Comments

Yeah, there’s something about us and automatic goodness today…

We’ve seen plenty of interesting vending machines all over Japan, even for outright marketing, though the recent Smart Vendor in Shibuya Station might just take the creativity award home.

Holding a full-size Smart Car, the faux vending machine has two choices (coupe and cabrio), and a convenient slot to insert the amount you need (about $20k). Of course, this is a concept only, but is a nice extension of their already creative vending machine idea that fits right into the Japanese love for instant gratification on-the-go. Besides, could you do this with any other car without it seeming like a big joke?

Pushing the button on the vendor won’t exactly pop out a car, but it does dispense a branded tube containing pamphlets on the new models, dealer information, and a sheet of Smart Car stickers featuring the available colors.

Now the big question: Will the Smart Car become a hit in Japan? One would think “yes” because of limited space, but cutting the car in half still won’t give us anywhere else to park unless the parking spaces are cut in half as well. However, with rising gas prices and a burgeoning Eco movement in Japan, it just might make the dent it wants to.

The Smart Vendor’s time in Shibuya Station is now over, but you can catch it in three more spots around Japan in the next month.

Get some vending machine love from our new piece at PingMag
More info at PlaySmart.jp

Tags: Marketing, Promotions, Shibuya, Smart Car, Vending Machines
Category: MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

AED vending machines and public installations

Written by: Michael Keferl on April 10, 2008 at 3:01 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | 1 Comment

Safety-conscious Japan has been deploying Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in public places the past few years, especially at schools and train stations. We’ve been spotting more and more of them lately, though we’re quite interested in finding some data on how often they’re used. Since vending machines are just about everywhere in Japan, it’s perfectly natural to combine their use to include a handy AED. Possibly useful for canned coffee overdoses?

It seems that Kirin is even using them in the machines at their factory tours as of November 2007.

Tags: AED, Vending Machines
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS