People love free stuff, and so do marketers. Why? Because giving away samples is one of the most effective ways to get consumers to try your products or services. From cereal brands to pilates studios, businesses in nearly every industry have found that the best way to sell a product or service to consumers is often letting them try it for free.
The numbers speak for themselves: a recent study by Eventeem found that 65% of consumers who sampled a product purchased it in the same shopping trip; more than three-quarters of them said that the sample is what prompted the purchase. Sampling pays off longer-term, too — some 58% of purchasers in that study said they'd buy the product again. And giving away samples to existing customers is a great way to keep them engaged, and to encourage them to branch out to your brand's other products.
But making a sampling campaign work for your brand is about more than just handing out products. That's why, increasingly, brands are looking to product sampling companies to guide them as they plan and implement sampling campaigns. These companies have expertise in various aspects of product sampling, from strategy and logistics to data analysis and consumer engagement, and they help brands make the most of product sampling as a powerful marketing tool.
Understanding Consumer Psychology
The effectiveness of product sampling isn't just about logistics, it's deeply rooted in consumer psychology, as research shows that 65% of consumers who sample products end up buying them, demonstrating the powerful psychological impact of hands-on product experiences. Consumers get to experience a brand firsthand and risk-free, forming a positive connection that sparks a sense of obligation.
What Do Product Sampling Companies Do?
Product sampling companies specialize in designing and executing sampling campaigns to target potential customers. To accomplish this goal, product sampling companies work closely with brands to handle various aspects of the sampling process: identifying the target audience; determining the best products, packaging, and presentation for sampling; strategizing sample distribution; managing distribution logistics; and measuring effectiveness.
Identifying the Target Audience
Pinpointing the specific consumer groups most likely to be interested in the product is key to the success of any sampling campaign. Sampling companies excel at this, primarily because of their experience in the kind of research necessary to identify each brand's ideal consumer — the customer most likely to be receptive to the brand's products and message.
A sampling company will consider demographics, interests, and buying habits of these customers. Distributing samples to people who wouldn't be interested in your product is a waste of resources, so focus on your target audience as you decide on sampling method and product choice. Once the target audience has been identified and profiled, the sampling company shifts gears into creation of sampling strategies tailored to reach and influence those ideal customers.
Sample Selection and Distribution
With the targets identified, the sampling company develops a plan for strategically distributing samples through various channels. Not all products are ideal for sampling — companies recommend choosing products that best represent the brand and are likely to excite the target audience, but also are relatively easy to package, store, ship, and produce.
Consider sample size, too: Samples should be large enough to provide a good experience but small enough to control costs. Packaging should be eye-catching and informative, and include a call to action.
There are various ways to distribute samples, and your choice should align with where your target audience is most accessible and engaged:
- In-store: Typically a booth in retail stores frequented by your target audience, this approach allows for direct interaction with potential customers as well as product demonstrations.
- Direct mail: Sending samples directly to consumers' homes is effective for targeted campaigns and avoids geographical limitations.
- Online: This is the most effective method for digital products like books and software, but other brands can also provide codes or coupons online for picking up free samples in person.
- Event-based: Distributing samples at trade shows, conferences, pop-ups, activations, or other events can be a great way to reach your target audience. These occasions provide a captive audience already interested in your industry, making them more receptive to new products.
Campaign Management
All aspects of sampling logistics and campaign management fall under the sampling company's purview. Depending on the type of sampling effort your brand is planning, managing the myriad details of the campaign will involve different aspects of shipping, storage, packaging, permitting, and distribution.
A direct-mail sampling campaign might involve optimizing packaging for sample protection and delivery cost, for example. An event- or retail-based sampling campaign could require recruiting and training staff, plus equipping them with the extensive product knowledge and ability to engage with the audience to both create connections with customers and collect data.
Because sampling is, at its core, a form of experiential marketing, a good sampling company will put considerable effort into creating a positive sampling experience for the audience. Leading sampling companies are implementing sophisticated multi-sensory experiences that go beyond simple product trials to create lasting brand impressions and drive higher engagement.
Benefits of Product Sampling
Beyond just increasing sales — because people are more likely to buy something they've already tried and enjoyed — here are some advantages to giving away product samples to consumers:
Sampling puts products in consumers' hands, often for the first time
For some product categories, like food and beverage, the best way to convince consumers to buy a product is often to let them try it first. This makes a multi-city sampling tour a uniquely effective means of launching new products. Condiment brand Sir Kensington's took this approach when launching its new vegan mayonnaise via a 20-state, 83-stop food truck tour that let consumers sample the product with french fries.
Sampling boosts brand awareness
Free samples generate brand recognition, especially for new products or in new markets. Consumers can try your product and see if they like it, a low-risk activity that sparks interest and curiosity. When companies distribute free samples to a wide range of consumers, they generate excitement and intrigue around the brand.
Flavored-water brand Lemon Perfect used sampling to increase brand awareness and distinguish itself from other enhanced-water brands. The brand targeted seven markets with high concentrations of its target audience — young, diverse, health-conscious consumers — for a sampling campaign based out of a fleet of branded vehicles. In just under two months of working with Promobile Marketing, Lemon Perfect managed to give away 300,000 samples.
Sampling inspires customer feedback and content
Consumers who've sampled are more likely to share their experiences within their personal and social networks. This word-of-mouth marketing amplifies brand visibility and reaches a broader audience.
Samples provide valuable insights into customer preferences. By observing how people react to your product, you can gain valuable feedback to improve your offerings or marketing strategy.
Sampling also creates opportunities to accumulate reviews, unboxing videos, and other user-generated content. UGC or user-generated content helps you stand out from the crowd, get your customers' attention, and build social proof. UGC also increases sales; studies show that 90% of customers decide to purchase based in part on user-generated content.
Sampling cultivates customer loyalty
Sampling isn't just a good strategy for attracting new customers; it's also a great way to keep existing customers engaged and loyal. According to statista.com, 72 percent of beauty brand customers say they're most loyal to brands that give away samples. Customers appreciate the chance to try something new for free, and it can encourage them to become and remain repeat customers.
Implementing a Successful Sampling Campaign
Successful sampling campaigns are built on more than mere freebies — they start with clearly articulated goals, a keen understanding of the target audience, and a solid plan for followup. Here are some tips for building a campaign that connects with your ideal customers.
Define Your Goals
What do you want to achieve? Is it brand awareness for a new product launch, increased sales of an existing product line, or customer feedback? Clear goals will guide your approach.
Plan for a Smooth, Shareable Presentation
From the consumer's perspective, the process of finding, receiving, and using the sample is a customer service experience, so make sure it's a pleasant one. This means working out how the samples will be produced, packaged, and distributed, as well as any supporting information like instructions, ingredients, and specifications.
Unboxing matters, especially if your target audience includes social media influencers or if you're aiming to gather UGC through the campaign. Complement your sampling campaign with digital content that educates about the product, shares user experiences, and encourages social sharing. This can amplify the impact of your sampling effort.
For food and beverage brands, strategic food pairings can significantly enhance product perception and increase the likelihood of purchase by maximizing flavor impact. Brands looking to create viral moments are experimenting with high-low snacking combinations that mix luxury ingredients with everyday products to generate social media buzz and memorable experiences.
Follow Up
Don't leave consumers hanging after receiving the sample. Make purchasing the sampled product — and your brand's other products — as easy and appealing as possible by including a coupon or discount code with the sample. Send follow-up emails with additional product information, special offers, or invitations to join a loyalty program.
Tracking and Analyzing Results
Build into your campaign the means to monitor key metrics like website traffic after sampling and social media engagement. This will help you gauge the campaign's effectiveness and identify areas for improvement for future campaigns.
Data gathering might also involve including unique QR codes on the packaging that link to landing pages with product information, surveys, or social media profiles. This allows for easy data collection and engagement tracking. Create opportunities for samplers to provide their email addresses or phone numbers in exchange for access to future promotions via email or SMS.
Actively seek feedback by incorporating feedback mechanisms like surveys, social media polls, or contests into your campaign. Create incentives for sharing feedback or reviews such as discounts, swag, or free samples of your other products.
The sampling company gathers data and consumer feedback on the sampled product to provide valuable insights to the brand. This analysis might assess brand awareness and perception; sales pre-, during, and post-campaign; brand loyalty as measured by repeat business, social media engagement, and other measures; and direct feedback from consumers who participated in the sampling campaign gathered via surveys, reviews, or social media interactions.
Taken as a whole, this post-campaign analysis provides valuable insights about consumer preferences, product perception, and potential areas for improvement, and indicates potentially fruitful directions for future sampling efforts.
By carefully planning, targeting the right audience, and choosing the most effective sampling method, brands can leverage product sampling to achieve their marketing goals and build stronger relationships with consumers.
Want to Elevate your product sampling campaign? Here are 5 techniques you can use today to increase the success of your next product sampling campaign.
