Page 555 -
P. 555
|554 PART 3 Designing a Customer Value-Driven Strategy and Mix
watching the show saw, say, a lamp they liked, they could click on a red plus sign flashing
on the product in the online version, which took them to Target.com where they could buy
it. “It’s a combination of being a product integration that’s really integrated into the story
line of the script, being on a major network, and with a unique shopping experience,” con-
cludes Target’s marketing vice president.50
Kiosk Marketing
As consumers become more and more comfortable with digital and touchscreen technolo-
gies, many companies are placing information and ordering machines—called kiosks (good
old-fashioned vending machines but so much more)—in stores, airports, hotels, college
campuses, and other locations. Kiosks are everywhere these days, from self-service hotel
and airline check-in devices, to unmanned product and information kiosks in malls, to in-
store ordering devices that let you order merchandise not carried in the store. “Vending
machines, which not long ago had mechanical levers and coin trays, now possess brains,”
says one analyst. Many modern “smart kiosks” are now wireless-enabled. And some ma-
chines can even use facial recognition software that lets them guess gender and age and
make product recommendations based on that data.51
In-store Kodak, Fuji, and HP kiosks let customers transfer pictures from memory cards,
mobile phones, and other digital storage devices; edit them; and make high-quality color
prints. Seattle’s Best kiosks in grocery, drug, and
mass merchandise stores grind and brew fresh
coffee beans and serve coffee, mochas, and lattes
to on-the-go customers around the clock. Redbox
operates more than 35,000 DVD rental kiosks in
McDonald’s, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Family
Dollar, and other retail outlets—customers make
their selections on a touchscreen, then swipe a
credit or debit card to rent DVDs for less than
$2 a day.
ZoomSystems creates small, free-standing
kiosks called ZoomShops for retailers rang-
ing from Apple, Sephora, and The Body Shop to
Macy’s and Best Buy. For example, 100 Best Buy
Express ZoomShop kiosks across the country—
conveniently located in airports, busy malls,
military bases, and resorts—automatically dis-
pense an assortment of portable media players,
digital cameras, gaming consoles, headphones,
Kiosk marketing: ZoomShop kiosks around the country automatically phone chargers, travel gadgets, and other popu-
dispense an assortment of popular consumer electronics products. This lar products. According to ZoomSystems, today’s
ZoomShop is located in a Macy’s store and features Apple products, automated retailing “offers [consumers] the con-
among others. venience of online shopping with the immediate
ZoomSystems gratification of traditional retail.”52
Author Although we mostly benefit Public Policy Issues in Direct and Digital Marketing
Comment from direct and digital
marketing, like most other things in life, Direct marketers and their customers usually enjoy mutually rewarding relationships.
they have a dark side as well. Marketers Occasionally, however, a darker side emerges. The aggressive and sometimes shady tactics
and customers alike must guard against of a few direct marketers can bother or harm consumers, giving the entire industry a black
irritating or harmful direct and digital eye. Abuses range from simple excesses that irritate consumers to instances of unfair prac-
marketing practices. tices or even outright deception and fraud. The direct marketing industry has also faced
growing privacy concerns, and online marketers must deal with Internet and mobile secu-
rity issues.
Irritation, Unfairness, Deception, and Fraud
Direct marketing excesses sometimes annoy or offend consumers. For example, most of
us dislike direct-response TV commercials that are too loud, long, and insistent. Our mail-
boxes fill up with unwanted junk mail, our e-mailboxes bulge with unwanted spam, and
