Using Twitter for Beer

“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks/ I’ll Tweet my beer order and enjoy my snacks…”

Technology is changing the way that fans view games from the stands.  But now, thanks to one innovative beer vendor working for the Seattle Mariners, being able to order a beer is a quick and easy as sending a Tweet.  That’s because if you Tweet your order to Kevin Zelko at @Msbeervendor, then the beer vendor will bring you a beer in the stands.  Using Twitter for beer sales?  Will this really work?

Using Twitter for Beer | Efficiency

Traditionally, beer vendors will walk up and down the stadium in several sections, selling beers to whomever is interested in purchasing.  This system can be inefficient, and the opportunity to allow fans the ability of using Twitter for beer orders may help increase the efficiency of beer distribution.  After all, giving those in need of a product the technological tools in order to purchase the product should lead to increased sales, right?

Using Twitter for Beer | Logistics

The beer logistics would work as follows:  You’re in the hot sun, enjoying a baseball game, and you become thirsty.  You don’t exactly want to leave because the Mariners have runners on at 1st and 2nd with one out and Ichiro is at the plate.  Something good can happen if you’re a fan of the Mariners.  But, there is no beer vendor present, and you wish to partake in a frothy beverage.  Now, you can simply take out your Smart Phone, send the beer vendor a Tweet including your name, section, and seat number, and a beer will arrive shortly.

In order to turn this dream into a reality, Kevin will have to work very hard on growing his Twitter fan base.  Currently, he is only at 224 fans, and will need more to make this work.

Using Twitter for Beer | Flaws?

Is it realistic to expect every beer vendor to have 80,000 followers on Twitter in order to do their job efficiently?  Also, what about those fake Tweets?  For example, I can friend Kevin and send him bogus requests all the way from Austin, Texas.  These pranks could take away the positives of increased sales.

While using Twitter for beer in baseball stadiums for individual vendors may not work as well in practice as it does in theory, the concept may lay the groundwork for organizing an online vending system where people can order their food and drink and pay for it online, thus providing a better service to it’s fans.

While not perfect, trying to use Twitter for beer sales is just another fine example of American ingenuity and the evolution of technology & social media.