Vending Industry Continues to Thank Gen Y with The Gratitude Tracks

Vending Industry Continues to Thank Gen Y with The Gratitude Tracks

Free Music Sampler Features Artists From Vending Industry's Gratitude Tour Road Trip

CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its successful seven-city Gratitude Tour, the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) announced that it is giving away a music sampler, The Gratitude Tracks, consisting of 17 free downloadable original songs, written and performed by the local artists featured on the vending industry Tour. The Gratitude Tracks is now available on the following sites:

-- The Vend.Love.Win. Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/VendLoveWin?sk=app_155326481208883
-- CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thegratitudetracks
-- TuneCore: http://www.tunecore.com/music/thegratitudetracks

NAMA is also working with iTunes to try and make the sampler available there as well.

The Gratitude Tour took vending on the road this fall to convey thanks to Gen Y (ages 18-29) and other loyal consumers for preferring vending and to reinforce that vending delivers what consumers want, when they want it and where they want it. A major catalyst for the Tour was recent NAMA research indicating that Gen Y prefers vending over convenience stores and grocery or drug stores for snacks and cold beverages. Tour stops featured the latest in vending machines, products and technology, thousands of free product giveaways and entertainment from the local bands and performers featured on the new music sampler.

"The idea behind The Gratitude Tracks is to continue showing appreciation to Gen Y with a key staple in their lives: music," said NAMA Interim CEO Dan Mathews. "As the current and future users of vending, these are tech-savvy consumers who will appreciate free music downloads. We thought this would be a great way to say 'thank you' and extend the Tour to others who may not have participated in it."

The Gratitude Tour is one element of a larger ongoing program initiated by NAMA and the vending industry earlier this year, all designed to boost awareness and generate excitement among consumers about the vending experience. Other elements of the program include a Facebook contest (http://www.facebook.com/vendlovewin), a broad media relations program targeting social media and other online destinations where young consumers "hang out" on the Internet, a mobile nutrition app that will be launched in the coming months, and other vending-related surprises involving consumers' mobile devices.

NAMA

CONTACT: Kara Kristoff or Keeley Carson of Healy & Schulte, +1-312-765-8770, kkristoff@healyandschulte.com

Web Site: http://www.vendialogue.com

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