Simply put, product samples work by asking consumers what they liked about a product and what they experienced in exchange for honest feedback and reviews on social media. Product Sampling as a marketing method falls in this direction because there is little insight into the feedback consumers receive through direct interaction with the company or users after the test. This increases the friction on the way to influence consumers with discounts, and consumers are less likely to engage with your activation or try product offers.
A random sample offers potential buyers a low-risk way to test responses to a new product. For new businesses, it gives customers a sense of understanding and experience of an unknown product before committing to a purchase. In return, the added value of product sampling is that personal marketing activities provide unprecedented access to in-depth, carefully thought-out consumer feedback data.
Handing over samples to consumers allows them to try out the product in front of brand ambassadors and react promptly to what they think. Sampling can also help to increase customer satisfaction by experimenting with a new product. It provides insights into what your target consumers are looking for and what they want to share by comparing your product with similar products.
The third advantage of sampling is that you have the opportunity to create a market and generate demand for products that buyers have not seen or experienced. A confirmed product sample study by Arbitron Edison Media Research found that 35% of the customers who tried a sample bought a sample product on the same shopping trip. If you are trying to elicit reviews and buy full-fledged products, a broad product sample campaign can be an effective way to increase customer reviews of core products.
84% of university students say that they are more likely to buy a product after receiving a free sample study. Strong sampling campaigns by sampling agencies for consumer goods create an immersive customer experience in the new digital age with insightful sampling campaigns across online platforms. A definitive sampling strategy can deliver three-digit product test rates and higher sales.
When food manufacturers try products, grocery stores don’t have to worry about shopping for groceries. Sampling allows consumers to test products without any future or current obligation. Remember that sampling does not pass the product on to consumers; it urges them to purchase on the day of sampling.
This switch allows companies to redirect targeted traffic to specific brands and in turn, allows consumers to experiment with new products. Brands such as Sam’s Club and Costco are known for harnessing the power of free samples to build brand awareness and to generate interest in their products. Sales are great, but if you understand the different motivations of brands to use personal marketing activities such as product samples, conversion rates are not always measured in sales.
By offering sample sizes free of charge or at low cost, customers can easily try out products at home and decide whether they work for them. This ground-breaking tactic enables brands to reach a broader network of consumers by enabling consumers to learn about a product by trying it first hand. Digital product sample marketing makes product sample marketing more efficient by leveraging online influencers and e-commerce options to enable consumers to order free samples that are delivered to their homes. If you have been in business for years, you can launch a new website and send samples of your products to attract the attention of shoppers.
It is also the case that many brands refuse to hire a sampling agency to run sampling campaigns, which is one of the reasons why the same Promobike survey found that only 28% of respondents in the last three months received product samples. Digital product studies, such as sample packs that customers can order online, are a secure and contactless alternative to setting consumer preferences during the COVID 19 pandemic. By supporting the effectiveness of product samples and enabling consumers to use the product, we can reduce the uncertainty and anxiety of customers about their purchasing decisions.
If the sample size is small and the consumer likes the product, they are more likely to buy the full version of the product and share it with friends and family members. If the sample is the right size for the consumer’s taste and feeling for the product – and the product receives positive feedback – the consumer will be inclined to buy the entire product. Sampling offers the buyer the chance to experience your brand, services, technical support, product knowledge, and customer service.
In this guide, we will explore how e-commerce brands are pursuing effective sample product strategies to influence consumer behavior and purchasing decisions. Sample product companies such as Peekage help your brand turn users into buyers, increase sales, target product visibility, streamline feedback collection, and do so at a lower cost than traditional channels. Experienced fulfillment partners like Whiplash can help your brands coordinate successful product sample campaign launches to increase brand loyalty and product sales.
Brands like Tupperware and Mary Kay started sending their products home and organizing special events to invite people to try their products. By setting demographic and interest parameters for each product, companies can ensure that the right consumers receive samples, feedback that can be used to inform potential product changes, packaging, and marketing messages. One study found that 35% of customers who tried a product bought the same day and 26% purchased it later.
