The Changing Face of the Kiosk

by | Mar 19, 2012 | Business

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The kiosk has been around since the 1200s; however, it has undergone quite a few changes, especially in recent years, that make it a wonderful advertising tool for those who want to be noticed by a large volume of people.

Initially, a kiosk was simply a covered pavilion in a garden area that was open on all sides or some sides, similar to a modern-day gazebo. This type of kiosk was very popular in the part of Asia that includes such countries as India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. They were also quite popular in Greece and can still be seen in that part of the world.

In Western culture, however, the kiosk is more closely affiliated with business enterprises as a vending booth of sorts from which small items such as magazines, fruits, or handbags can be sold. Sometimes in a mall, a kiosk will sell slightly more expensive items such as cell phones, paintings, or even exercise equipment.

In recent years, computerized kiosks have arisen which bear little resemblance to the garden kiosk of the Middle Ages. This type of kiosk has limitless possibilities. It can be used to provide information in a building or other public place, to purchase tickets at an entertainment venue, or to check in and retrieve a boarding pass at an airport. This type of kiosk can also be used as a docking station in a public place for those who need to recharge smart phones, computers, or other electronic devices. It can also provide electronic services such as computer use for those who are travelling or otherwise without their electronic devices for a time.

Back in ancient Greece, the kiosk might have been a limited advertising tool. However, now that kiosks are everywhere, either in a personalized or electronic format, they provide an incredible advertising medium that will be seen by volumes of consumers.

Because a kiosk is normally closed on all but one side, it provides either multiple surfaces for various forms of advertising or one large surface for wrap-around advertising. And, because a kiosk will always be positioned in heavily trafficked areas, kiosk advertising has immediate exposure. And, since kiosks are often placed in areas where people have to wait, at a bus stop or in an airport, for example, the advertising not only gets seen, but it gets seen for longer periods of time.

Any business, corporation, or organization that wants to be noticed on a regular basis should consider kiosk advertising. Kiosk advertising provides an opportunity for visual displays that will be noticed by large groups of people, often for extended periods of time. Kiosk advertising can play a huge role in any group’s marketing or advertising efforts.

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