Coca-Cola (KO) has discovered a way to keep its highly profitable soft drink business from being extinguished by the germs of COVID-19.
The solution: QR codes and your smartphone.
Coca-Cola said Monday that it made its popular Freestyle soda machine, which can be found in dozens of contactless, fast-food restaurants like Wendy’s and McDonald’s and corporate offices. By updating the machine’s software package, a consumer will be able to hold their camera on the machine’s screen, which will automatically scan a QR code. That then connects to the cloud and brings the machine’s user interface directly to your smartphone. The drinker then selects from the full menu of options and presses pour.
No application download required.
“All Coca-Cola beverage dispensers are safe with the recommended care and cleanliness,” said Coca-Cola Freestyle Vice President and General Manager Chris Hellmann in a statement. “But in these uncertain times, Coca-Cola offers consumers a new option: a contactless source experience. It has been exciting to see our team continue to innovate, primarily from home, to meet the changing needs of customers and consumers. Our partners are doing their best to maintain a safe and sanitary dining environment, and we are doing our best to provide options for your guests to continue serving the drinks they want on a platform they love. “
Coca Cola freestyle vending machine, the team can mix different flavors according to your choice. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Launched in 2009, the Coke Freestyle machine revolutionized soft drink consumption in many ways by using technology to unlock nearly endless beverage options. In the life before COVID-19, you walked to the Freestyle machine, selected a drink by tapping the screen, and were happy. But that exercise doesn’t seem feasible for restaurants and businesses as they reopen after the pandemic: touching a public computer screen right now isn’t much different than touching a train station’s toilet seat. In many restaurants, for example, the source machine remains closed.
That has required Coca-Cola to discover a way to reinvent user experiences so that machine owners can continue to generate profits. Coca-Cola says its software update for the machines, which took just a few weeks, will roll out to 10,000 machines later this summer. All Freestyle machines will receive the software update by the end of the year.
