A video kiosk is a small computer terminal that is set up in an area, such as a mall or store, and plays messages advertising new services and products. The kiosk is owned by a certain company and typically advertises a specific product. A cell phone kiosk would advertise the new phones and features offered by the company who owns it, while a laptop kiosk would advertise a brand of laptop.
Mall kiosks are common because of the high number of shoppers who travel there every day. The video kiosk is displayed in the middle of the mall where shoppers walk past as they make their way from store to store. The screen plays a series of videos while talking about the product. The video kiosk has a certain number of videos or video clips it plays before starting again at the beginning.
Often a video kiosk will be set up beside a temporary stand selling the product advertised in the video. This provides an added advantage when selling to customers. An employee will work at the kiosk and talk to customers walking by. While the customer may ignore the video playing on the kiosk video screen, she may stop and listen to the salesman. The salesman is also there to answer questions customers might have after watching the advertisements, and he can sell the product to the customer on the spot.
Other video kiosks may advertise a new store and direct shoppers how to get there, or advertise a new product and inform the shopper where she can buy this product. A video kiosk isn't always there to advertise or make a sale, however. Kiosks can also provide useful information about upcoming community events and sales. They might promote an idea like recycling and talk about the benefits of participating.
When a kiosk is set up on its own without workers nearby to sell the product, it is usually providing information or advertising a product not found in the mall. The mall itself might set up a kiosk to advertise upcoming sales and direct shoppers to the different stores available. The idea behind the kiosk, regardless of who owns it, is always to provide some type of persuasive information. The owner either wants to sell a product or simply wants to raise awareness in the community about an important issue.