Jan 12 2012

Kraft Temptations Vending Machines: Break-Through Sampling Innovation … or Gimmick and Targeting Blunder?

Kraft’s Intel-powered facial-recognition vending machines dispense samples to an adult consumer.

Every marketer is searching for ways to innovate in how customers experience their brands – and to stand out in the ever-evolving landscape of marketing tactics and social conversation.

Recently, Kraft set out to achieve both objectives for Jell-O’s Temptations line of products which have been created as an adult snack rather – in contrast to Jell-O’s association with pre-teen kids.

The CPG giant unveiled test vending machines in selected markets that provide free product samples to passers-by. The machine leverages facial-recognition technology from Intel to identify the age and gender of the potential users, dispensing samples only to its adult target audience – asking any detected children to step away from the machine.

The effort has created a buzz in its use of the latest technology to connect with potential customers in a new way, providing what Ed Kaczmarkek, Kraft’s Director of Innovation and Customer Experiences, called “a big gee-whiz factor… making certain we get the right sample to the right consumer.” Jell-O’s Facebook page calls Temptations “the adult only treat with a taste that’s too indulgent to share with the kids,” and Kraft deserves praise for its unique approach to connecting directly with potential customers. It offers a glimpse into how this technology can be used in the future to better identify and connect with a brand’s audience.

However, much of the coverage of Jell-O’s efforts focuses not on how it is connecting with its design target, but how it is actively excluding kids and creating a negative brand experience. Headlines included “Jell-O Tempts Adults (Kids Not Allowed) With Intel Face Recognition,” “Ageist Pudding Machine Uses Facial Recognition Technology to Spurn Children” and “Pudding Vending Machine Programmed to Hate Children.” Noted entrepreneur and marketing blogger Seth Godin commented that “it’s a goofy gimmick, not a useful innovation.”

It will be interesting to see the ultimate impact that this program has on brand metrics for Temptations – and of course whether it helps to drive sales. The food and beverage industry spends over $1 billion annually on product sampling, and this technology could help revolutionize how brands distribute product samples. When combined with social and mobile tools, this technology has the ability to create shareable dynamic experiences for consumers.

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