Why Do Sampling?

Product sampling is nothing new. Brands have used it in the past, from instore sampling stations in which staff invite customers to try a new product to giveaway street marketing sessions. But why bother? Does sampling yield results?

Sampling as a marketing tool

We’ve worked with many clients to offer free samples to customers, including brands introducing new-to-the-market products. One success story that depended on sampling as its main marketing tool was Green and Black’s of high-quality chocolate fame.

Sampling *can work but, like all marketing tools and activities, it needs to be driven by a clear and focussed strategy. Get that sorted, sampling instore and on the busy street will be a success if you have experienced and enthusiastic sampling staff on the case.

The how and the why of sampling

Like any marketing activity, you want to optimise the return on investment, fattening up your order book and sales figures. So why use sampling as opposed to other forms on marketing?

• More sales – if you want to increase sales, then sampling is a powerful selling tool. Over a third of people who try a product instore will make a purchase in the same shopping trip.
• Long-lasting effect – giving something away ‘for free’ is a tool that many brands use. For example, charities who send out free pens or other freebies will often see a fantastic response because people are more likely to engage if they have received something beneficial. Instore and on-street sampling gives not only an immediate response but is also one that lasts longer. Of those people who buy immediately, a large proportion will often on-street.
• Shines a spotlight on your brand – you are in a competitive marketplace on-street and so any chance to hog the limelight is a good thing! Sampling is one of those spotlights that increases brand awareness to your current customer base but also to potential new customers too.
• Encourages people to try something new – asking people to ditch their favoured brand and try another is a Big Ask. Brand loyalty is hard to break and even harder to instil in customers. When questioned, 73% of people said, ‘trying a product’, i.e. sampling, would be one way of encouraging them to give another product or brand a chance.
• Gather feedback – maximising the return from product sampling activities means seeing the bigger picture. If you hire professional and enthusiastic sampling staff, you are liable to get as much better performance. Adding value in the shape of customer feedback means you get so much more. In fact, of those brands that do instore and on-street sampling activities, a whopping 83% said they did so for the valuable customer feedback as much as increasing sales.

It is also important to note that not every brand uses product sampling. Are your competitors doing it? If not, you have a chance to on-street with customers. By engaging and connecting with customers, a memorable experience opposed – as any marketing expert will tell you, this is the crux of successful marketing.

Is sampling right for every brand?

Just like other forms of marketing are not right for every brand in every industry, sampling may not be the right course of action for you. However, the underlying principles of it could be helpful to your brand. For example, could product demonstrations bring you the benefits, profits and re-ignition that sampling brings to others?