Back on Oct. 12, 2012, VendingMarketWatch reported a Forbes article about a study that links chocolate and winning Nobel prizes. It's a great story. The researcher looked at different countries, the number of Nobel prizes won and the chocolate consumed, and he saw a correlation -- the more chocolate, the more Nobel prizes. Specifically he saw a significant linear correlation between chocolate consumption per capita and the number of Nobel laureates per 10 million persons in a total of 23 countries.
Correlation does not equal causation, but chocolate has been linked to other positive health benefits, especially dark chocolate, so it's not a difficult leap to make.
This type of article is a great addition to a newsletter or email communication to customers, or to push out via social media. Ex: "Hey, chocolate might make you smarter - check out the correlation between chocolate and winning a Nobel prize." It's just the sort of positive news that would have a great affect, especially when paired with a bit of humor. Make sure you cite the source, however, and don't make any claims yourself.
Positive attributes continue
Reports giving vending, micro market and coffee service products a good name doesn't stop at chocolate. For the past several years research has consistently credited moderate coffee intake with reducing the risk of heart disease, brain cancer, Alzheimer's disease, physical pain and even lowering depression in women.
Green tea seems to be a miracle food as well, helping with everything from lowering cholesterol to improving working memory.
I, personally, love positive stories and research about the products vending sells. It's not just "junk food" in these machines, it's snacks and pick-me-ups that can sometimes offer added health benefits, even as they are part of a healthy diet.
