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MARKETING INNOVATION
Feeling hot in Hollywood? Try a ‘ride-hailing’ service for ice creams
By our News Team | 2023
Pilot project gets impulse purchases into the hands of tech-savvy and time-starved consumers in minutes. Why queue for melting ice creams?
We’ve heard of ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt. Now a well-known American brand is offering a new twist on the theme: a ‘store-hailing’ mobile ice cream store that comes to you on demand.
Its unveiling is just in time for the Northern Hemisphere spring (Southern Hemisphere autumn). And where else would you launch it but in Hollywood – where hot-and-bothered movie industry people don’t have the time or inclination to stand in a queue to get an ice cream.
Photo courtesy of Mars Incorporated
Instead, the just get onto their mobile phone – providing they’re not busy with ‘influencing’ or ‘selfies’ – and use an app to get the ice cream truck to their location within minutes. There is a one-tap ordering process, with no cash and no store assistant involved. So customers simply make their selection and leave.
Collaboration with business specialising in mobile shops
The concept is a collaboration between Mars, a company that makes confectionary (sweet treat) brands such as Snickers and Twix, and Conjure, a company that has been offering mobile shops for other purposes around the Los Angeles area.
If the concept proves popular in Hollywood, Mars and Conjure will roll it out to other parts of the United States during the 2023 summer.
“Mars is continuously investing in driving innovation for the treats and snacks category through the unattended retail space, giving consumers more opportunity to shop our products with speed and convenience,” said Jerome Morgen, Global Director of Mars Unattended Retail.
“This partnership with Conjure helps solve the industry’s biggest issue – ice cream melting before reaching the home when purchased in-store or through other delivery methods.”
Added Ali Ahmed, co-founder and CEO of Conjure: “We believe this partnership will be a game-changer in the ice cream industry.”
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