Are you strong enough to buy this?

Now let me think. Drinking lots of beer and running as hard as you can into a metal vending machine. What could possibly go wrong?

In today’s competitive business environment it’s normally the case that companies want to make it as easy as possible for their customers to buy their products.

Over in Argentina though a beer company has taken an unusual (but in my opinion a brilliant) approach to selling beer.

In fact, if you’re talking in strategic exam business terminology, an unusual approach to the outbound logistics found within Michael Porter’s value chain.

Salta beer has designed a vending machine for all the rugby fans out there.

In order to get your can of beer dispensed from the vending machine you put your money in and then you have to body slam into the vending machine as hard as you can.

The nice twist to this is that there is a meter on the vending machine which is similar to the “hammer strength tests” that used to be found at old carnivals and fairgrounds. In other words, the beer will only be dispensed if you can run into the machine with a hard enough force and reach the “strength meter”.

It’s been designed to appeal to rugby fans who are used to seeing rugby players tackling their opponents.

The machine can be seen in action below and the next time you are sat down in a quiet Argentinean bar enjoying a relaxed drink lookout for the big guy behind you taking a long run-up and heading with his shoulder down towards the vending machine…