Beer drinkers can use the technology via voice-activated Amazon Alexa or a custom AWS IoT button, which uses similar technology to the Amazon Dash button.
Rooted in human behavior
Tapping into home technology was an obvious choice, the company said.
“Consumers are expecting a frictionless shopping experience across every area of their lives and we’re working to make it easier for legal drinking age consumers to get their hands on a beer through several testable areas,” Brian Pokorny, senior manager of digital marketing and media at MillerCoors, said.
The new service developed by IPG Media Lab is the first offering from MillerCoors Incubator program, an initiative aiming to test innovative methods of engaging consumers.
“We are continuously exploring technology in ways that are rooted in human behavior and our connected home platform is one example of that,” Jorie Sax, associate marketing manager for the incubator, said.
MillerCoors said the Miller Lite beer button will be available early this year to a pre-selected group of 500 customers from online store Drizly.
The Alexa skill will be available to all owners of Alexa devices including the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Tap in the US. Alexa device owners can enable the skill by searching for “Miller Time” in the Alexa skills store and then using the voice command “It’s Miller Time” to place a beer order.
Rapid beer delivery service
The launch of Miller Lite On-Demand is the second time the company has teamed up with online alcohol delivery service Drizly.
MillerCoors first experimented with the idea of rapid beer delivery by partnering with Drizly in 2014 when it offered free beer delivery to football fans through Twitter users who tweeted phrases such as “It’s Miller Time” or “We should go for a beer run.”
In 2015, beer purchases accounted for 34% of Drizly’s overall deliveries with Bud Light, Stella Artois, and Coors Light being the top-selling brands. The startup’s expedited delivery services are available in 40 cities.