Coke Digital Vending, Now with AI

Long time follower here of the Coke Freestyle experience, saw prototypes of it with suggestions of how it could be adapted to supply chain and user experiences, as far back as 2008.  Also have seen Pepsi Spire systems in the same vein.  Are these all drink user vending and now experience centers?

How Coca-Cola's AI Approach To Customer Experience Can Boost Its Performance    Trefis Team , Contributor, in Forbes.

As reported in recent months, The Coca-Cola Company is working on a smart digital vending machine powered by artificial intelligence which is likely to be launched in New Zealand soon, followed by a planned launch in the U.S. The company is looking to connect its vending machines to the cloud, giving it an ability to control them digitally. This technology upgrade will allow Coca-Cola to remotely adjust the prices of products sold via these machines (digitally) making it easier to introduce discounts and promotions at a specific location. Further, customers will be able to buy their drinks from this vending machine via smartphones even before reaching the machine. This feature gives customers the ability to buy drinks for their family or friends in any location including another country.

This technology will also allow the company to send personalized messages to its customers and provide a chat platform. Users can opt for conversations with the vending bot via Facebook Messenger and, based on the customer’s data collected via Facebook, the bot will customize its response. As companies increasingly look to make the retail experience more convenient and digitally engage customers, this vending machine upgrade can help Coca-Cola understand customer behavior better and modify its products/services accordingly. We expect that this will ultimately have an impact beyond vending machines. .... "