If you are a growing company, or one that wants to grow, it is essential to find new ways to establish your product's presence in the market, address the Brand Awareness and increase sales. It may seem trivial, but to achieve these goals, your company must reach and retain customers over time. In recent decades, the sampling marketing has taken off and product sampling strategies seem to be constantly evolving. We have moved from simple in-store samples, which are still a great tactic, to a new digital era that uses online platforms.
What is sampling marketing and how can it help your business?
To give a definition as immediate as possible, sampling marketing consists in the creation of free products and in giving the (potential) customer the opportunity to test the product before definitively purchasing it.
The logic behind product sampling is becoming increasingly important as brands want to connect with a wider audience and immerse them in both their products and the overall brand experience.
This logic can be easily explained by three main factors:
- Risk aversion: sampling is a win-win situation for customers. They can try new products without purchasing or under any obligation on their part, so they can be more confident in their purchasing decision;
- Reciprocity: by giving them free products, customers tend to feel indebted. It is therefore possible that they feel, even unconsciously, the need to reciprocate in the future;
- Feeling: With product samples, customers have the opportunity to smell, taste or generally experience the product.
It may seem trivial but both customers and brands welcome sampling marketing because there is little to lose for both parties involved. And if there is one thing that all sampling techniques have in common, it is the aim of Engage consumers through a more engaging and personalized experience.
The Impact of Sampling Marketing
Sampling can help your business in four main ways:
- It allows companies to reach a wider network of consumers
- It allows consumers to Know the product and experience it first hand
- In recent years, the digital sampling made sampling marketing even more efficient
- It combines perfectly with influencer marketing: by delivering samples directly to the Digital Ambassador's home (link), they will have the opportunity to try them, review them and recommend them to their followers.
Sampling Marketing: Pros and Cons
As mentioned, sampling marketing has shown a significant increase in conversions. A study by Edison Media Research shows that 35% of customers who try a sample will purchase the product at a later time.
Specifically, the pro are as follows.
- THE direct methods (distributing samples in-store, at events or on the street) can help businesses reach new customers, make their products more visible and engage their consumers through a personalized product experience;
- THE indirect methods (courier sample delivery) can help brands ship samples both locally and internationally to reach a wider range of consumers;
- THE methods that use influencers and of the Brand Ambassador help build unique relationships between their followers and your brand
On the other hand, there are also some against:
- These tactics often lead to a huge waste of resources, used to produce countless samples;
- They risk sin in targeting, since samples are also distributed to those who may not have a real interest in that type of product;
- Difficulty in measure ROI when using influencers.
Conclusions
Taking a quick look at the pros of the Sampling Marketing outweigh the cons. So if your company is growing or wants to grow, you should not hesitate to implement this strategy because, as we have seen, it allows you to obtain excellent, if not better, performance.