Drying your hands after a bathroom break may never be the same again. A new smart product, the AdDryer from Savortex, promises to blast users with advertisements, as well as hot air, while simultaneously collecting data on the use of toilet facilities.
Adverts are delivered on the AdDryer’s built-in screen and usage data, according to Savortex, can help those who manage and run smart buildings to achieve greater energy efficiencies. The AdDryer’s ability to monitor how it is used, it claims, generates more and better quality information to help manage a building’s energy footprint and service costs.
For example, cleaners might be directed to washrooms based on need calculated through actual footfall rather than simply working to schedule. When it comes to compliance, buildings managers can use more accurate data to ensure compliance with legislation such as the new EU Energy Saving (ESOS) legislation enforcing mandatory energy audits for large enterprises.
Real-world tests proved positive
Trials of the AdDryer at Heathrow, Royal Bank of Scotland and the British Library have been useful as proofs of concept.
Syed Ahmed, founder and MD of Savortex told Internet of Business “Our clients were amazed at how the real-time usage data collected by our smart dryers identified hidden risks and developing trends, [such as] waste and energy in washrooms facilities, thus allowing better and informed decision-making leading to significant reduction in energy and costs and increasing profitability.”
Targeted advertising potential
The advent of the AdDryer also means washrooms may no longer be a place to sneak a peaceful moment. Instead, they may become a location for highly targeted ads.
The AdDryer reports real-time hand usage data through patented smart sensors, and this data triggers an advert in real-time in response to a user’s hands. Ahmed told us “We use this provable data to serve one-to-one, targeted, high definition video adverts or internal communication to a captive, gender, time, location-based professional audience.”
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Coming to a high street near you
While the AdDryer is focused on the corporate washroom sector for now, Ahmed was enthusiastic when we asked him about its potential for the high street. “This is a core sector for us,” he said. That’s hardly surprising, as the AdDryer business proposition is based on a revenue-sharing model.
How revenue is shared will vary from client to client. Savortex works out an ‘audience value’, based on visitor demographics and other data, and a cost-per-view ad rate is formulated.
When you put it all together, Ahmed told Internet of Business that the AdDryer allows enterprises to “transform wasteful and costly commercial washrooms into connected, hygienic, and sustainable revenue-producing assets.”
This is a concept that has impressed Martin McCourt, former CEO at Dyson, who said: “It is fantastic to see a British company leading the way in technological innovation. Savortex is a forward-thinking and dynamic company with a product range that will revolutionize the washroom sector. I was instantly impressed with the AdDryer and look forward to seeing what they do next.”
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