Alcohol and tobacco advertisers have poured billions of dollars into national advertising campaigns designed to increase public awareness of their products and thereby increase sales. Last year in the United States alone, bottling companies spent a record of over 1.75 billion in 2007.
Each year, the alcohol industry spends more than a billion dollars on “measured media” advertising, that is, television, radio, print, and outdoor ads. The available evidence indicates that more than 300 wine brands, 350 beer brands, and 1,400 distilled spirits brands are marketed to the U.S. Fewer than a quarter of them are advertised through measured media each year.
Alcohol promotions are often carried out in unconventional ways, including:
Sponsorship of cultural, musical, and sporting events;
Internet advertising;
Point-of-sale material, including window and interior displays at retail outlets, bars, and restaurant;
Distribution of brand-logoed items such as t-shirts, hats, watches, and glassware;
Product placements in movies and TV shows;
Catalogs and other direct mail communications;
Price promotions such as sales, coupons, and rebates; and
Trade promotions directed at wholesalers and retailers
Recently local banks, sports bar and various nightclubs have started placing plasma screens or flat panel Televisions in public view and displaying channels like CNN or the Sports Channel.
The present application describes a system that uses the same monitor screen for bar functions, e.g, entry of an order, or display of an action in the bar, and also for displaying advertisements. The advertisements can be received over transmissions, and creates advertisements based on the received transmissions.
According to an embodiment, the transmissions are received over a satellite link.
Display screens in nightclubs and bars display various images. The flat screens normally depict images of dancers in the building or prerecorded disco videos or streaming light images for special effects. This or other similar screens can be used by the bartender to ring up sales and/or make orders.
In an embodiment, each time the bartender rings up a sale, the touch screen becomes a computer keyboard. When the bartender steps away from the touch screen, the screen saver becomes a miniature billboard which displays advertising for various brands of alcohol or beer. In one embodiment, this system is fed via a satellite dish which updates the ads periodically either by venue, by region, by day of the week, or globally all at once.
A number of different point-of-sale cash boxes such as 220 are also provided. Each cashbox may include a point-of-sale slot 221 through which a user slide their ID device such as an ID card. At this point, the screen 225 becomes a screen used for the sale, e.g. a touchscreen as in 225. In the cash machine 230, the screen 235 is a conventional screen, and there is also a user interface 236 that allows the user to enter a command such as on the keyboard. In operation, the bartender can slide ID information into the point-of-sale slot 221, in which case the screen 225 becomes a screen associated with obtaining sales. When the sale is completed, the screen reverts to being an advertisement screen. The advertisement advertises items associated with the bar's sales.
The system operates as shown in the flowchart of
In one embodiment, illustrated with reference to
510 shows an “after” scenario; where an additional 1200 drinks have been sold, which equates to 60 bottles of Smirnoff. The “after” scenario on the advertising provides a sales increase of another 1200 drinks.
In the embodiment of
Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example, other components can be used. While the above describes a location system for anti theft, the same kind wireless battery or solar powered devices can be used for other applications. While the above has described very specific forms of structure and networks that can be used, other network protocols, including but not limited to Bluetooth and others can be similarly and analogously used. In addition, other applications for this system are possible and are contemplated by the present application. While the above describes Smirnoff, it should be understood that any other product can be similarly advertised. In embodiments, the product that is advertised is preferably a product that is available for sale at the advertising location, and more preferably is a food or drink for sale at the location.
Also, the inventors intend that only those claims which use the words “means for” are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph. Moreover, no limitations from the specification are intended to be read into any claims, unless those limitations are expressly included in the claims.
This application claims priority from provisional application No. 61/054,695, filed May 20, 2008, the whole contents of the disclosure of which is herewith incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61054695 | May 2008 | US |