FanWise™ technology, displayed at NAMA OneShow, transforms any vending or arcade game machine into a "smart vending machine", according to the company. Users can pay with a Tweet or pay with a Facebook Post, according to Brett Circe, FanWise, LLC, president.
Circe, who is also the inventor of FanWise social media technology, says it is the only technology that can be installed into any existing vending or arcade game machine to create a smart vending machine. He went on to explain that the FanWise unit connects via the Multi-Drop Bus (MDB) chain, and interfaces using the MDB 3.0 standard. It's as easy as plug-n-play.
"We offer vending operators the opportunity to upgrade their machines to a 'Twitter powered vending machine, pay with a Tweet' or a 'Facebook powered vending machine, pay with a Facebook Post,'" Circe explained in a prepared statement. "This is important because now consumers can enjoy a new cashless payment solution at your machine. And it's not one they need to learn. FanWise leverages a behavior social media users already practice daily...posting to Facebook or Twitter...and provides the individual with a cash value for their update that can be used to buy goods instantly at your machines."
The cash for the "cashless vending" is provided by products and brands who sponsor the social media message and gain the social impressions from FanWise. FanWise then reimburses the operator the price of the goods plus a 5-cent commission for the transaction. So revenue actually increases with each item sold, despite the cashless payment.
Circe went on to say that FanWise is not social media advertising. The FanWise social media technology only works with pre-loaded and approved social messages. So, whatever the operator or the brand wants to "promote on social media" is the message the consumer must tweet or post for the credit. Brands can use these messages to "promote a hashtag"; to get a hashtag to trend; or to promote an event to drive attendance. Operators may want to promote their own store, locations, or even specific machines to get more business.
Over the coming year, FanWise is rolling out its social media technology to 16 of the largest media markets in the country. Markets include: New York, N.Y.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas; San Francisco-Oak-San Jose, Calif.; Boston, Mass.; Washington D.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Houston, Texas; Detroit, Mich.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Seattle-Tacoma, Wash.; Tampa, Fla. and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
