This month,
Graeter's, a local favorite ice cream shop and one of
Cincinnati’s flagship brands, unveiled new technology that has begun to be implemented in select stores. A new self-service kiosk gives anyone the ability to make their gift cards memorable by personalizing them with a timely message. Messages are about the same length as a tweet and are printed right on the gift card.
“This is really cool technology,” said Chip Graeter, fourth-generation owner. “These touchscreen kiosks give our guests another great option for a gift and should enhance their in-store experience.”
To introduce fans to the new kiosks, Graeter’s is giving a free single-dip of ice cream in a sugar cone to customers who purchase a personalized gift card through Sweetest Day, Saturday, October 19.
“So far, our guests have been extremely excited about the new technology,” says Nick Whitney, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Graeter’s. “The process has proved to be simple, even for those who aren’t technologically savvy.”
The Connectnow patent pending gift card technology is a product of
Openmotion LLC, a Cincinnati-based company.
“We are excited to have Graeter’s as a partner for our gift card kiosk service,” says Rob Deubell, President of Openmotion. “Cincinnatians love Graeter’s and love to give it as a gift. Our kiosks will allow consumers to add their own personal touch and make their gift cards more memorable.”
“Rob from Openmotion approached us to be the first organization to test this brand-new technology because our target demographics match beautifully,” Whitney says. “Once he showed us his vision and how easy it would be for us to implement, it was an easy decision to move forward.”
Whitney and the folks at Graeter’s are aware of the challenge of preserving all of the qualities that consumers love about an age-old brand, while still bringing it into the 21
st Century.
“We have been a traditional ice cream shop since 1870 and always struggle with how technology should be incorporated into our stores without taking away from our 143-year heritage,” Whitney says. “If the overwhelming positive feedback we have received continues, we may look at some other interactive tools in the future like digital menu boards, tablets that can give nutritional information and more.”
By Mike Sarason
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