What do vending machines and Adidas have to do with each other?
I’m Cedrik Chavez and I’m a marketing and communications student worker for the Division of Information Technology, and here at DOIT, we’re excited about what technology can enable us to do. I want to share with you the role of technology in my Summer Consumer Engagement internship project at Adidas and how it answers the question above.
I interned for Adidas in summer 2019. In my internship I was presented with a question, “How does Adidas get more people to join the new Adidas Creators Club loyalty program?” Ultimately, my response to this question was a smart vending machine that I helped Adidas design and create, and they sent out to test markets. The smart vending that I’m referring to has a transparent LCD screen, integrated iPad to signup for the program, and a two-tier gamification system.
The LCD transparent screen allows for video content to be played over a large screen and still gives you the ability to see inside the vending machine at different prizes.
As for the gamification prizes, anyone who was new to the Creators Club that signed up on the vending machine would get a randomly generated prize. The prizes included Adidas pins, lanyards, gift cards, even exclusive stickers that were designed for the specific flagship stores located in New York City and L.A where the vending machines were tested.
The second tier of gamification was a sweepstakes entry for anyone that signed up on the vending machine. These prizes included a pair of D.O.N. Issue #1 shoes signed by Utah Jazz NBA player and Adidas sponsored athlete Donovan Mitchell.
The great thing about the vending machine is its versatility. Video content on the transparent LCD screen can be updated remotely, enabling the vending machine to potentially have multiple experiences throughout the day. This in combination with the versatility where the vending machines can be located, makes it a unique experience where the Adidas store can, in a sense, go to the sporting events/venues and engage in a sports atmosphere.
My internship project was deemed successful with over 2,000 new signups to the program and it saved Adidas a little over $15,000 dollars when compared to previous projects to get people to join the Creators Club loyalty program. Adidas plans to expand my project to more markets, so hopefully you’ll see one of these vending machines in an Adidas retail location near you, or a sporting event or venue in the future.
To learn more about my internship project and experience at TXST check out this story about me, A Student’s Journey to Adidas Innovator.
Cedrik Chavez is marketing and communications specialist student employee in the IT Marketing and Communications office.
