Malibu to Abolish Bar Queues by Bringing the ‘Internet of Things’ to Clubs & Festivals

Pioneering drinks brand Malibu is aiming to consign bar queues to the history books, with the launch of a ground breaking cup that will bring club and festival goers’ drinks directly to them.

Featuring state-of-the-art ‘internet of things’ technology, the new ‘Coco-nect’ cups send signals to bar staff every time a fresh drink is required. All customers have to do to place their order is twist the base of the special coconut-shaped vessel – ideal for Malibu-based cocktails – and then carry on talking, drinking or dancing while their drink is prepared and delivered straight to them.

Making clever use of existing WiFi and RFID technology, the Malibu Coco-nect cup is a drinks industry first, and is set to bring the ‘internet of things’ – a phrase used to describe everyday objects that have network connectivity – to clubs, bars and festivals in time for summer 2017.

Twisting the cup’s base sends an order to the bar at the same time as pinpointing the user’s location. Once the order has been accepted a light on the bottom of the vessel changes colour to let the partygoer know that their drink will soon be delivered to them, while a special app then helps bar staff find the customer. Once near, the vessel light starts flashing to identify the right recipient. The cup was developed in just 12 weeks by the Malibu brand team at The Absolut Company, working with innovative, internet-of-things agency SharpEnd.

“Traipsing to a crowded bar to face a lengthy queue for drinks can put a real dampener on many social get together, while our research shows that FOMO – of the ‘fear of missing out’ – can be a real frustration for young people who don’t want to miss out on the fun of the party,” explains Malibu’s joint Global Marketing Brand Manager, Deborah Nunez.

Added Hedda Helgesen, also Global Marketing Brand Manager: “Our new Coco-nect cups will mean they may never need to miss a single moment of fun again. We have successfully trialled 10 prototype cups this summer, and will be looking to roll them out commercially in time for next year’s summer festival season. We expect them to be a real hit.”

Source: Pernod Ricard

  Alcohol, Beverage, Coco-nect, cups, Digital, Innovation, Internet of Things, Malibu, Marketing, Pernod Ricard, RFID, SharpEnd, Technology, The Absolut Company, Wifi