Product sampling is a way to distribute free promotional products to your desired audience. It is a chance to let others try a great product in hopes of a return on investment. Product sampling can be used to showcase a certain product, enhance your brand, and start conversation.
There’s nothing quite like getting something for free.
Brands have been relying on product sampling to spread the word about their products for decades. As the Consumer Packaged Goods space continues to evolve, the product sampling methods they use are evolving as well. What used to be a traditionally driven space has shifted towards a more digital approach, as brands learn the efficiencies of sampling digitally.
According to Dr. Insaf Ben Amor & Pr. Francis Guilbert’s study on “The Effects of Product Sampling on Brand Image,” product sampling has a positive effect on family brand image.
Companies looking to get busy, budget-minded consumers to try out their products – and eventually buy them – frequently must do more than simply offer free samples in a public place. Shoppers increasingly make well-researched purchase decisions at home, and getting them to change buying habits takes more than one sampling in a mall or grocery store. Firms of all sizes are using a mix of variables – including location, media, technology, interaction and subscriptions – with the goal of converting samplers into loyal customers.
Digital marketing has unleashed an obsession with efficiency and short-termism, one that’s trading long-term brand-building for short-term ROI. We’ve put the golden goose in a battery farm of scientific efficiency, and it’s killing the brand, business growth and profit.
We can’t think of any times sampling isn’t a good idea, but when it comes to marketing a new product, sampling is a great idea, and here’s why:
Product sampling can be very effective, but some companies are guilty of some nearly-fatal mistakes. We’ve rounded up some of the most popular so you can be sure to avoid them.
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According to a recent study from Young America (YA), more than half (53%) of Americans said they often or always end up buying a product they had sampled. Plus, 77% of that same group said receiving a sample of a product would encourage them to try another product by the same brand, and 42% would even switch from their current brand.