Fruits of Success: 7 tips for successful sampling

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

7 tips for successful sampling

"Advertising loads the gun but sampling pulls the trigger " so the old saying goes.

Sampling is one of the most effective ways to market.

The principles appear to work as well in Hungary as they do in UK.

I have illustrated this post with photos of sampling from a recent course I ran in Budapest .

I observed for the RISKA candy bar.

For the UK I took photos of a sampling project by Chobani real taste yoghurt I came across near Clapham Junction , London

Note how the national colours of the Hungarian flag
are Incorporated into the design
in the promotional point of sale
and the lovable one person 'pantomime' cow

81 % of consumers say that if they received a sample and liked the product, they would buy it according to a study by Opinion Research Group (ORC) .

1. Sample to prospects rather than existing customers. Rewarding customers who already love your brand will not impact consumption or change brand loyalty. Many companies hunt in their captive market -such as their own Facebook pages or websites. Consumers who seek out brands on line are already likely to be buying that brand.

Sampling UK style
Clapham Junction ASDA Car Park
Portable store and Range Rover in Company Colours

2. Sampling is best employed to generate a trial, so focus on ways to drive prospects to your product.

Sampling Hungarian Style RISKA confection bar
Maybe not the right target or the time for this lady !

3. Sample in a relevant environment at the appropriate time .Even though people love free stuff, they may not take your free stuff when you want to give it to them. They would much rather receive it when it makes sense to them. That means anticipating when they will need you and welcome the experience.

Better target here young man with sunglasses in hair with RISKA bar
behind the pantomime cow

4. Sample as close as possible to the point of use or need. Focus on your target audience versus trialling for trialling’s sake. Handing people a hand cream as they are walking into their office building could create multiple resistance to trial. Build your campaign approach to encourage trial.

Sampling cabin for RISKA at Buda Castle, Budapest

Key benefits can be put across in the
conversations with the sampler

5. Sample and start a conversation. If you want earned media, give someone something for free and an easy way to share his or her opinions with friends on social networks e.g Twitter handles and facebook links , QR code or comments section on your website .

For brands still anxious about negative social posts, the law of reciprocity will come into play. People are much more likely to say something nice when you give them something for free.

The Chobani Real had sold out on the shelf
competitor brands below are left on shelf

6. Sample and measure. Just getting your product ‘out there’ is merely distribution, not measurement. Measure your sampling effectiveness by looking at the investment you're putting into sampling and the purchase conversion that results.

7. Sampling doesn't just have to mean handing someone a snack bar to eat; it can mean having your customer experience the essence of your brand.
Visit to part of a training course, a test drive, free software trial, product samples…