Tag: snack vending machine

Posted on | by Phil Masters

Healthy Vending Options Brought to Schools

healthy vending optionsAs the Shelby County School (SCS) board prepares to vote on whether or not to bring vending machines into their schools, parents and students have mixed feelings; and for good reason.  Vending machines have traditionally been stocked with candy, chips, soda, and other junk foods high in fat, sugar, and carbs.

However, if the proposal is approved, the SCS plans to stock their vending machines with healthy choices for not just snacks, but for breakfast and lunch as well, something that is catching on across the country. These healthy vending machines in schools would be stocked daily by special education students. This means that while the food is guaranteed fresh, those students who stock the machines are learning job skills as well.

So why the idea of having a school vending machine in the first place?  According to Kevin Woods, a Shelby School board member,  “This is not to eliminate any possible positions, it’s just simply to allow more people to get through the process quicker and to have more options without having to wait in long lines”.

If the proposal goes through, the vending machines would be tested in White Station, Whitehaven, and Wood Dale schools by offering free lunches.  This could also ease the minds of some parents and students who are less than enthusiastic about getting school lunch from a vending machine.

However, some vending machine companies, such as Healthier Vending, do in fact offer healthy school breakfast, lunch, and snack programs that not only encourage healthier choices, but also encourage academic achievement all while meeting any school’s nutritional requirements.

For example, Iowa started the Healthy Kids Act to help eliminate childhood obesity by offering healthy vending machine in their elementary, middle and high schools. Healthy vending machines selling drinks, for example, offer nonfat and low fat milk, vegetable juice, and 100 percent fruit juice instead of sugary juices and sodas.

Although it is not known for sure exactly what items would go in the vending machine if they were approved, some of the more popular items we now see in snack vending machines throughout the country are healthy granola bars and Cliff bars as well as yogurt.  Healthy drink vending machines also see the V8 brand vegetable and fruit juices as well as water.  For lunch, options may include a fresh salad, freshly made sandwich, soup, and a variety of fruit.  For breakfast, options may include cereal, breakfast sandwiches and also a variety of fresh fruit.

While school vending machines may be something both parents and students will need to get use to, the fact remains that they save time, money, and in the end, offer more options and healthier choices. The future’s alternative to the traditional lunch line has become healthy vending machines in schools.

Schools are getting rid of the lunch line in favor of healthy vending machines.

Posted on | by Phil Masters

Companies Who Make Employee Health a Priority Show Enormous ROI

Healthy-Vending-MachineFor many people who wish to live healthier lifestyles, one of the biggest obstacles has always been the workplace. Depending on how busy your days are, you may not necessarily have time to run to the nearest healthy source of food during your lunch hour. Fast food, which is among the least healthiest food possible, may be the best option. Worse yet, even companies that have traditionally said that they encourage healthy activities in their employees usually stock vending machines filled with high calorie, low quality items for those workers to consume. The snack vending machine has long been the bane of existence to everyone who just wants to watch what they eat and lose a little weight while on the job.

That is, until now. Research has indicated that companies that make an active effort to make employee health a priority are showing an enormous return on investment when these types of programs are initiated in conjunction with a Healthy Vending Machine.

Vending machines in general are notorious for dispensing foods that are high in trans fats, filled to the brim with synthetic ingredients and include other unhealthy qualities that make it difficult to eat right while at work. Many vending machine manufacturers have started offering nutritious alternatives that are designed only to vend low fat, low carbohydrate and low sugar products. These are not limited to snacks – these can include drinks and even full meals depending on the specifics of the program in question.

The return on investment that companies are seeing for making employee health a priority falls into a few different categories depending on the situation. The most obvious is that employer health insurance premiums are directly related to the health of their workers. If your employees are only making poor food decisions all day, premiums will eventually go up as a result. Studies have indicated that not only are these premiums not going up, but they’re actually being lowered in many cases. Many employers have created employee-driven health groups designed to manage these initiatives in the workplace.

Additionally, the vending machines themselves are becoming a viable source of income for many businesses. Employees who are already trying to live health conscious lifestyles are enthusiastically using these types of machines at a higher frequency than ever.

One great example of this type of program in action is Vending.com’s Healthy Vending program. Vending.com is a vending machine manufacturer that has been in operation since 1931. In addition to selling specially designed vending machines that dispense food, snacks, coffee and everything in between, they are also doing their part to promote healthy eating in the workplace by way of the Healthy Vending program.

Posted on | by Phil Masters

iHeartRadio Loves Instagram | Get Swag For Your Instagram Photo Via Vending Machine

instagram iheartradioEver thought of promoting a brand by offering merchandise in exchange for social media exposure? That’s exactly what’s happening on an iHeartRadio tour featuring a t-shirt vending company that accepts Instagram photos as payment for merchandise.

The marketing campaign is targeting college students by setting up these vending machines at the Universities they visit throughout the Midwest and South.

How does it work?

  • The consumer touches the screen
  • Retrieves a unique four-digit code
  • Takes an Instagram photo
  • Tags it with hashtag #iHeartRadio followed by the unique four-digit code
  • Retrieves their swag – either iHeartRadio t-shirts or iHeartRadio emblazoned sunglasses.
  • The Instagram photo can then be shared and re-shared all over social media, including Instragram, Twitter, and Facebook.

It’s that simple.

The days of setting up tables and tents and giving away pens and magnets to promote brands are over. Instead of trying to lure consumers to temporary tents and trying to unload free stuff, vending machine companies have really come up with a genius marketing campaign that attracts consumers directly to the vending machine like magnets and then gets them to interact and spread their message.

The idea of interacting with the vending machine using social media is truly novel. And although the merchandise is essentially free, the consumer has to put some effort in, but the effort is something fun, something he or she likes to do anyway, whether or not they get a free pair of sunglasses.

Social media vending machines can be rented or bought from vending machine manufacturers and companies, which are integrating this technology as an innovative new way to enhance a brand’s awareness and visibility. Additionally, social media vending machines for sale may also include a used vending machine, lowering the initial investment to get your brand or service out there.

This is a fun way for people to share photos, which is something they like to do anyway, and then receive something free in return. The benefit for brands that participate in this campaign is also quite significant. After all, who wouldn’t brag about getting a t-shirt, sunglasses or keychain just for sharing a photo? This creates an interactive buzz about products and brands that will reach much further than any type of traditional advertisement or television commercial.

So are vending machines that exchange swag for Instagram photos the wave of the future? Time will tell, but there are few who would turn down this easy way to score some free stuff!

Source:

http://www.adweek.com/digital/iheartradios-vending-machine-turns-instagram-photos-swag-160986/

Posted on | by Phil Masters

Keep Your Employees Happy, While Saving Money

A company that keeps its employees happy is more productive overall and can more effectively meet the demands of the marketplace.

While benefits and other significant perks are a main focus for most businesses, smaller areas, such as an employee break room that offers nutritious foods, can also be perceived as important.

Employees usually need a nice, convenient working environment in order to concentrate on work, and spend less energy on decisions that support their general well-being. This is the reason that parking and other basic needs are usually important features of a positive work culture.

In the case of an employee break room, having a positive environment that offers nice decor, ample seating, and a comfortable space for either sitting alone or gathering with a colleague or two over a beverage or a quick meal, is important.

A break between work that recharges energy, gives an employee social support and offers a source of pride is a great gift for your workforce that can establish trust, reduce employee sick days and turnover, and increase your bottom line.

Vending Machine

A vending machine in a company break room is a primary source for snacks and even meals for many employees. While foods are also often purchased elsewhere, the convenience of on-site vending snacks and meal-friendly foods frequently becomes a staple for those working hard and requiring nutritious support to bring them to the next meal. In some cases, selections in a vending machine can actually offer meal replacements, which is a great time save that need to remain on the company grounds between meals.

Your employees may be eagerly anticipating the next vending machine selections that you choose.

Selecting snacks that provide nutrition, such as yogurt, cheese, pita chips, and sugar-free or low-sugar beverages, such as Vitamin Water, can support a healthier culture and extend productivity. If you instead stock a vending machine with mostly sugary snacks and offer fewer healthy options, it could affect the attention span of employees, and even their health.

A vending machine is traditionally considered a source of junk food, but the image and available food options is changing. Stocking an employee break room drink vending machines with tea, water and seltzer water, and a snack vending machine with fruit, and savory healthy foods will help show that the company is supporting their well-being and is aware of the leading health trends.

Purchasing a vending machine for sale and its products through Vending.com, which has been manufacturing vending machines since 1931, will give you the necessary tools to deliver a superior break room environment to your prized employees. It is crucial to work with a trusted and reliable company that knows the industry. From a coffee vending machine to one that includes mostly food products, Vending.com has you covered.