What is a Video Kiosk?
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.
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Discussion Comments
Video kiosks can be used for more than just advertising. Software programmes have been developed whereby people can take a photo, record a video and then share them by uploading them to email, YouTube or Facebook. Optional branding can be included making them a powerful social media marketing tool.
For those offering information services about charities and community events do you know if malls would offer free advertising on their video kiosks?
Is this decision up to the mall management, or does an outside company usually own all of the video kiosks?
I would be interested in helping to bring some attention to community events, and video kiosks sounds like a great way to advertise.
Has anyone noticed a kiosk that you would say is in a prime location to catch people's attention?
I can imagine a spot like the food court would be best due to the number of people just sitting with not much to look at would be one.
Has anyone had any experience designing videos for display on these kiosks? Do you find that the production value is high, or could they be independently produced?
Using a video kiosk to advertise a product sounds like a good investment for a business that is trying to market a new product and I would be curious is to how much money goes into making these ads and displaying them.
Does anyone know how you would contact the company responsible for ad placement? Would there be a number to call on the kiosk, as with billboards, or do you think it would be best to just contact the mall management?
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