The 'Google Photos Food Truck Challenge' is currently touring the US with an ingenious payment method for food -- pictures.
The challenge is simple, and the best part is, no one goes home hungry. In order to qualify for free food, a large mechanized countdown of 20 seconds begins, with a randomly picked term. For example, if the word "beach" is chosen, contestants must scour their phone's gallery for a picture of a beach and find it within 20 seconds. Those who didn't pass the test don't go home empty handed but are given a smaller prize.
Google is using this fun, interactive contest to promote a new app, 'Google Photos,' which puts all your phone's pictures and videos in one place. Those who were unsuccessful in the challenge were encouraged to use the Google Photos app.
Photo Payment Food Trucks
Google Photos Food Truck Challenge Lets You Pay for Food with a Picture
Trend Themes
1. Picture Payment - The trend of allowing customers to pay for goods and services by submitting a picture presents opportunities for companies to develop new, secure payment systems based on facial recognition technology.
2. Interactive Marketing - Innovative campaigns that incorporate interactive elements like competitions or challenges can help companies engage customers and promote their products or services in new and creative ways.
3. Consolidated Media Apps - The popularity of apps like Google Photos that consolidate media from multiple sources could disrupt the traditional models of media distribution, presenting opportunities for developers in this space.
Industry Implications
1. Food & Beverage - Restaurants and food trucks could explore using picture payments as a way to stand out from competitors and attract new customers.
2. Payment Processing - Companies in the payment processing industry could invest in developing secure facial recognition systems for picture payments, or partner with app developers to integrate this technology into their products.
3. Marketing & Advertising - Marketing and advertising agencies could incorporate interactive elements similar to the Google Photos Food Truck Challenge into their campaigns to create engaging user experiences that drive results for their clients.