At the University of the Pacific in Stockton campus in California, students can now expect to see friendly "snackbots" from PepsiCo sharing snacks and beverages from better-for-you brand Hello Goodness.
In collaboration with Robby Technologies, PepsiCo is helping to make healthier snacking choices readily accessible to busy college students, especially as a greater number of people are favoring more frequent snacking over full-sized, fixed meals. Inspired by on-demand snacking, these on-campus bots share light refreshments such as Smartfood Delight, Baked Lay's, SunChips, Pure Leaf Tea and bubly, a zero-calorie sparkling water beverage.
When it comes to placing an order, students, staff and faculty are able to use the snackbot app during designated hours to have snacks and beverages delivered to set points across the sprawling school campus.
Snack-Sharing Robots
PepsiCo's Hello Goodness 'snackbots' Give Refreshments to College Students
Trend Themes
1. Snack-sharing Robots - Robots delivering healthy snacks on college campuses is a trend that addresses the needs of busy students who prefer frequent snacking over full-sized meals.
2. On-demand Snacking - An increasing number of people are favoring more frequent snacking over full-sized, fixed meals, which provides disruptive innovation opportunities for companies to offer healthier snacks through on-demand models.
3. Better-for-you Snacks - The rise of health-conscious snacking provides a trend for companies to innovate and offer nutritious options that cater to the needs of consumers who prioritize healthy eating.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - The food and beverage industry can capitalize on the trend of frequent snacking with healthier options that cater to consumers' needs and offer on-demand delivery through innovative means such as snackbot robots.
2. Robotics - The robotics industry can innovate by developing new, customizable, and user-friendly robots that can deliver food and other goods to people's doorstep by programming and operating through apps.
3. Higher Education - Higher education institutions can take advantage of the trend by partnering with companies to offer on-demand snack delivery services to busy students whose hectic schedules make it difficult for them to find healthy options.