Reference Rastal

Digital customer interaction

Smart glasses are revolutionizing the gastronomy

Many people are familiar with the experience of visiting a restaurant or bar: Just by looking at the glasses on the table, we can often tell which drink is contained inside. The strikingly curved Erdinger wheat glass, the narrow Warsteiner tulip or the robust Ramazzotti spirit glass - the brands are unmistakable.

In 1964 the glass manufacturer and refiner Rastal already had the idea for this product and developed the Brand Signature Glass - an individually developed glass design exclusively reserved for one brand. Almost 70 years have passed since then, and the traditional company now produces around 120 million glasses per year for national and international customers.

However, resting on one's success does not correspond to Rastals philosophy. That's why they have now gone one step further and, in cooperation with the technology agency NOA, TelekomMMS and Telekom Deutschland, have developed glasses with Near Field Communication (NFC) chips that create a special experience for restaurants and guests.

Reference overview

Task

Further development of the value chain through digital services. This should be based on usage data of the glasses.

Solution

Smart printing of the glasses with NFC chips and implementation of a Microsoft Azure Cloud System for managing as well as tracking glasses and campaigns.

Result

Rastal becomes an innovation driver and develops from a glass producer to a digital solution provider for all aspects of the drinking vessel. This strengthens the bond between beverage manufacturers, gastronomy businesses and Rastal.

The glass is the best possible marketing instrument in the immediate consumption situation. With IoT, we are taking this instrument and its interaction possibilities with the end consumer to a whole new level. Thomas Nieraad, CEO Rastal

Customer Benefits

Unique “smart” interaction between guest, gastronomer and beverage producer
Innovative One-to-One marketing communication towards the end-customer strengthens loyalty and leads to more turnover
Realtime communication enables realtime-offers reacting exactly on current events

Requirements

Solution

Benefits

Requirements

Extend Value Chain and Improve Competitiveness

The catering industry is under enormous pressure. Everything has to happen rapidly, perfectly and have that little extra. This applies both to the restaurateurs themselves and to the beverage producers, who constantly have to prove their unique selling proposition and are always compelled to win and retain their customers. Rastal has recognised this and offers its customers completely new solution concepts, in which the company itself also develops from a pure product supplier of glasses to an innovative partner of the beverage industry and gastronomy.
Digital Services should now be expanded even further in order to extend the value chain. Beverage manufacturers and restaurants should be able to use innovative marketing measures. In this context, the glass itself acts as a link between the physical-analogue and digital worlds and enables interactive and flexible added value for the caterer, beverage manufacturer and guest.

Solution

NFC Glasses and Cloud of Things for Innovative Gastronomy

The solution is Rastal Smartglass: using a novel printing process, Rastal Smartprint, an RFID or NFC transponder is hidden in the decor or brand image of the glass in a dishwasher-safe design. With an NFC-enabled smartphone, guests can thus participate in competitions, bonus programmes, product tests or other campaigns initiated by the beverage manufacturer. To do this, guests simply touch the glass with their smartphone and automatically receive all the information - completely, without having to install an app and independent of device and operating system. An NFC hint or symbol on the glass itself informs users that this drink may well contain a surprise. There are also systems that automatically measure the fill level of individual glasses, for example, so that service staff can be available just in time the moment the guest's glass is empty. Cashless payment solutions or controlled self-service systems are also possible with the smart glasses.

Each glass has an identification number that is unique in the world. This enables beverage brands to track exactly which actions at which location cause particularly lively interaction and to readjust them in real time by uploading new information or campaigns to the individual glasses from a central location. All data and interactions can be viewed and evaluated at any time by using a dashboard in the Microsoft Azure Cloud.

Benefits

Customer loyalty through digital added value

Rastal is developing from a glass manufacturer and specialist to a digital solution provider for all aspects of the drinking vessel through the innovative use of technology. In doing so, the company once again shows that tradition and innovation are not mutually exclusive; indeed, they go hand in hand to reveal entirely new possibilities. The additional value provided by smart glasses strengthens the bond between Rastal and beverage manufacturers and catering businesses. The brands themselves can now increase customer loyalty directly at the PoS through various bonus programs. The caterer in return for the added value provided by the smart glasses strengthens the bond between Rastal and beverage manufacturers and catering businesses. The caterer again benefits from additional services for the guest in the form of alternative payment methods and additional information for a smoother service and is himself an integral part of this new customer entertainment concept.

About Rastal

With its own products and customer-specific solutions, the RASTAL brand has embodied unique experiences of table and drinking culture since 1919. Innovative, style-oriented, exciting.In addition, RASTAL does not only offer internationally recognized know-how in glass design, production and finishing, but also a comprehensive range of services from sensory glass tests to individual logistics solutions. Today, 36 worldwide agencies and cooperation partners as well as 350 employees make sure that all orders are implemented quickly.

Do you have any questions?

Dr. Cornelia Mossal

Corporate Communication

+49 351-28 20-0
Send e-mail

Für morgen.
Und übermorgen.

Subjects

Media

Kanäle