Can a Device Save a Brand?

Okay, it is a dumb idea to think any mobile device can "save" a brand, unless that brand is Apple. But it isn't so far fetched to imagine ways to use an iPad as a virtual sales assistant or automated checkout device in some scenarios, as Hertz does in its rental return lines.

With its bigger screen, the iPad could be useful as a platform for social shopping. That can be done on PCs or  mobiles, but the portability and form factor is different from a netbook or laptop and screen size is a key difference from a mobile phone. One might argue the overall cost of creating an app and avoiding application-specific hardware are other advantages.

Conceivably it could replace kiosks or other digital signage approaches, especially where the attempt is to allow end users to imagine different products in different configurations, for example.

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