Nearly half of consumers indicate they are actively looking for new products. Product sampling marketing invites prospective customers to do just that. Product sampling marketing drives business value in several areas. Nielsen innovation data shows that in , a new product was launched to the U.

marketplace every two minutes, translating to more than 30, new products yearly. To stand out, most marketers today invest heavily in advertising. Yet, digital marketing experts estimate that most Americans are exposed to around 4, to 10, ads daily.

There is nothing better than actually seeing and tasting the product versus seeing a digital ad or T. As much as the world gets complicated, Sampling will always be there.

In a post-pandemic world, many brands had to rethink Sampling entirely. While Sampling mainly was geared toward places like events and retail, digital Sampling has grown significantly. Sampling communities rely heavily on data and insights to fuel outreach efforts.

This gives marketers the power to activate specific audiences by sending physical samples to their doorsteps and tracking and re-marketing to those consumers.

This way, marketers can reach people who match the ideal consumer, considerably boosting the potential purchase rate. Digital Sampling will become even more interesting in the years to come as voice assistants like Alexa could send you a free product to try. In , people could ask their Alexa voice assistant to send them a free sample of the new Coca-Cola Energy.

Consumers today rely on social proof more than ever to discover new brands. Sampling is a great way to spark this conversation, especially when designing a product sampling program with seamless social sharing as part of the experience.

According to a study from HubSpot , consumers discuss specific brands casually around 90 times per week. Incorporating social sharing into your product sampling marketing supercharges your word-of-mouth and achieves advocacy at scale.

Hero Cosmetics, a fast-growing premium beauty brand, activated their online brand community, Hero Skin Squad , to distribute targeted samples and drive social advocacy. By delivering a brand experience and encouraging their community to share, they drove over product reviews on key retail e-commerce websites.

This is truly an example of using your best customers to find your next customers. A solid product sampling marketing strategy can lead to a steady pipeline of high-quality user-generated content and product reviews.

Product sampling marketing is a natural opportunity to collect user opinions, and consumers appreciate it when brands consider their sentiments. Anup Shah, vice president and chief marketing officer of the juice portfolio at PepsiCo Beverages, said Sampling not only helps connect consumers with its new products — but the practice also allows the company to know how its items are doing and potential tweaks it may need to make.

One of our clients, a fast-growing frozen food brand, Veggies Made Great , leveraged its online community with Sampling to dodge product launch risk. The brand targeted and solicited feedback from community members throughout the U. to capture a variety of tastes and, within a week, had insights to deliver to the product development team.

Like all marketing, most of it is a deep dive into the psychology of people. In social psychology, reciprocity is the social norm of responding to a positive action with another positive action.

Humans seek balance in their relationships, and if we receive something from someone for free, we often feel motivated to give them something of value in return. When receiving a free sample, consumers feel motivated to become paying customers.

Whether through a sense of guilt or goodwill, product sampling reciprocity is one reason it works so well. Providing a sample often leads to a short-term purchase. Still, the more significant business opportunity and value of reciprocity is forming a positive consumer relationship, which will lead to further purchases and overall loyalty.

Coined from a tactic used by the door-to-door salesmen, the foot-in-the-door phenomenon is the tendency for people to comply with some large request after first agreeing to a small request. The saying refers to a door-to-door salesman who keeps the door from shutting with his foot, giving the customer no choice but to listen to the sales pitch.

The person who agrees to a small request feels compelled to continue agreeing to stay consistent with their original decision. This technique is used in many ways and is a well-researched tactic for getting people to comply with requests.

When a consumer agrees to sample your product, it becomes easier to get them to agree to purchase a full-priced version and to become a frequent customer. When someone expresses support for your brand, they are more likely to remain consistent by committing to it more concretely.

While most of us like to try new things, we often stick with what we know and gravitate toward the familiar. Many people practice risk aversion, where they choose a sure outcome over a gamble. Many consumers are hesitant to buy your brand outright, fearing wasting money or time and receiving a poor experience.

We get it; Sampling is expensive. Not only do you have to pay for distribution access, but also you must pay for the cost of goods. While product sampling marketing is incredibly effective, it is also one of the more expensive forms of marketing.

It must be done strategically to drive a positive return on investment. Here are three mistakes to avoid in your product sampling marketing. Remember the foot-in-the-door phenomenon; if consumers agree to try your product, they are more likely to agree to another ask. Not having a call-to-action as a next step after trying your product is a huge missed opportunity.

They might not even try it until they go on vacation. Marketers are creative by nature, and sometimes we can get carried away by the creative when we really just need to let the product do the talking. Companies leverage creative product sampling to introduce new products, reach untapped customer segments, and foster stronger brand engagement.

Brand sampling takes place on public streets, at transit stations, inside offices, inside supermarkets, and in partnership with venues. Sampling is especially effective for higher-priced products, making it a popular tactic among beauty companies.

When you allow people to try before they buy, it overcomes their purchase hesitations. Well-trained brand ambassadors entice people, present product samples, and host brand conversations, plus nudge them toward purchase.

Experiential product sampling often serves as the first touchpoint between consumers and a brand. It is particularly valuable for new products or brands striving to make a mark in a competitive market. A well-planned product sampling campaign ensures that brand interactions are relevant, memorable, shareable, and sales-oriented.

Effective sampling campaigns weave your brand narrative throughout the presentation, conversation, and call-to-action. Product sampling can take place in various settings, with the following tactics being among the most popular:.

Street Sampling - This traditional method, often called opportunity sampling, involves distributing product samples to people in high-traffic areas, such as outside transit stations, near concert venues, and in bustling shopping districts.

Event Sampling - Participating in events like concerts, festivals, and sports stadiums, offering access to large audiences in a single day. Event sampling often includes tables, tents, and props to capture attention and enhance brand outcomes.

In-Store Sampling - Collaborating with retailers to establish sampling stations within their stores is an effective way to introduce your product to new customers and facilitate immediate purchases.

Gifting - This approach involves pleasantly surprising independent shops, offices, and hospitals with product samples, sometimes referred to as "shop drops", "product seeding" or "guerilla gifting.

Food Truck - You can partner up with food trucks to sample your brand. It could be on its own or as special ingredient of menu item. Often includes a sign on the trucking letting people know your brand is being served.

Lifestyle Sampling - A marketing strategy that connects your brand with people via their values, aspirations, and interests. For example, you could sample your brand at yoga studios, dance classes, or Broadway theater shows.

Creative Activation - This tactic combines product sampling with one-of-a-kind brand experiences. It isn't something brands activate daily; it occurs more around holidays, brand anniversaries, or other special occasions. The reach of creative activation sampling is limited, so it relies heavily on influencers and social media to spread the impact.

ALT TERRAIN is an experiential product sampling agency that specializes in producing innovative and engaging sampling campaigns. We work with brands of all sizes to develop sampling strategies that align with their specific goals and objectives.

Here's what to expect when working with us:. Sampli ng Strategy Development: Creation of sampling strategies tailored to reach and influence your ideal customers. Product Sampling Structure: Brand assets and activities to attract, engage, and move people.

Logistics and Staffing: We handle all aspects of product sampling logistics, staffing, training, and shipping. Activation and Management: We actively manage, document, and assess your product sampling program. Continuous Improvement: We apply insights and enhancements on an ongoing basis.

No matter what your product sampling goals may be, ALT TERRAIN is well-equipped to help you achieve them. Our team of seasoned professionals excels at developing and executing successful sampling campaigns.

Establish your goals e. Know your ideal customer, and choose locations they frequent. Integrate sampling booths or signs to pique people's interest from afar. Utilize well-trained and outfitted brand ambassadors. Support with a logistics team to receive, store, and transport, specifically for sampling products at events.

Use trial-size, packaged product samples so people can easily place them in their pocket or purse. Include an irresistible call-to-action to incentivize purchases.

Integrate social media activities, contests, and promotions whenever possible. Budget for an onsite manager to oversee setup, make improvements in real-time, and document the sampling. Measure estimated impressions, engagements, consumer comments, and social media impact.

Secure proper insurance to cover the public, location, and the sampling staff. Surprise-and-delight commuters with a product sample outside transit stations. Standout with costumed characters and attention-generating signage. Activate sampling near locations where people can make a purchase.

Integrate influencer visits as part of your sampling campaign. Promote sampling activations before, during, and after on your social media channels. Incentivize people to share the sampling experience on social media.

Complement sampling efforts with geotargeted social media buys. Tie in your sampling concept with a holiday, national days, and awareness months.

Build in a charitable or cause marketing call-to-action. Experiential product sampling teams available in every major US city:. New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Miami and every city in between.

Experiential product sampling marketing is a natural fit for most consumer goods brands, especially food, beverage, and beauty companies. How, when, and where you activate your product sampling makes all the difference.

Go beyond basic tabling distribution, adapt a story-centric approach to give people a memorable, shareable experience. Enlist a product sampling agency to streamline planning, inventory management, fabrication, shipping, storage, management, training, and reporting.

We'd love to hear about your brand and goals; please introduce yourself. Product sampling marketing is the act of giving trial-size samples to people for them to experience your brand. This form of marketing takes place in supermarkets, on-the-street, at events, and host of other locations.

Product sampling is primarily utilized by consumer product companies CPGs as it converts a high percentage of people into customers. Connect with ALT TERRAIN to learn more about product sampling strategies and pricing.

Focus on one main goal e. on-the-spot sale, online purchase, etc. Select sampling locations where your desired customer frequents. Train your staff on the brand history, story, benefits, and FAQs. Create a presence that piques people's interest, represents the brand well, stimulates the senses, and functions for your logistical needs.

Ensure safety and cleanliness of your space, setup, staff, and customers. Outfit your sampling staff with, at a minimum, branded caps and shirts.

Include a irresistible, time-sensitive offer people to purchase the product. Document your sampling activation in real-time for quality assurance and content marketing purposes. Product sampling marketing rates vary widely depending upon the venue, setup, number of activation dates, staffing needs, and numerous other factors.

Share your brand sampling goals with ALT TERRAIN and we'll be glad to provide you an estimate. Here is a list of the most common product sampling marketing strategies:.

Product Sampling jobs available on jav-way.site Apply to Brand Ambassador, Demonstrator, Quality Technician and more! 1. Direct Mail Sampling. Direct mail sampling is straightforward. This type of program involves sending samples or trial products via mail product sampling demo jobs available. See salaries, compare reviews, easily apply, and get hired. New product sampling demo careers are added daily on

Product sampling opportunities - Browse PRODUCT SAMPLING jobs ($40k-$70k) from companies with openings that are hiring now. Find job postings near you and 1-click apply! Product Sampling jobs available on jav-way.site Apply to Brand Ambassador, Demonstrator, Quality Technician and more! 1. Direct Mail Sampling. Direct mail sampling is straightforward. This type of program involves sending samples or trial products via mail product sampling demo jobs available. See salaries, compare reviews, easily apply, and get hired. New product sampling demo careers are added daily on

Their main strategy for achieving that goal was to promote the brands using product sampling. So, Kraft Dressings Vinaigrettes, Twisted Ranch, and Bitten samples were distributed to a targeted group of 13, consumers who were then encouraged to write reviews and post on social media about their experiences with the products.

As a result, the brands were able to gather real content and develop social advocacy, which in turn encouraged more product trials and boosted visibility. The three product sampling campaigns resulted in 98, pieces of user-generated content UGC , 20, reviews, and 39 million impressions from , social posts, shares, likes, and comments from consumers.

According to Elizabeth Northrup, Associate Brand Manager for Kraft Dressings Vinaigrettes, Twisted Ranch and Bitten, these product sampling campaigns over-delivered on their targets, creating 2x the product reviews they expected, and earning media over 5x the program investment.

Glade wanted more people to try out its home air freshener. But as online shopping becomes more popular, fewer customers are visiting physical stores to get free samples or watch product demonstrations.

To solve this problem, they enlisted the help of Walmart for a unique product sampling campaign. Glade took the packing pillows used to protect products during home deliveries and filled them with their air freshener.

So, as people unpacked their Walmart purchases and popped their pillows, the scent of Glade's spring fragrance wafted through the air.

They also printed a QR code on the packaging that people could scan to buy Glade's products directly. Ogilvy Chicago, the ad agency behind the campaign, claimed that Glade home fragrances had an 83 percent boost in sales on Walmart. com thanks to this innovative product sampling idea.

Beauty Insider, the wildly popular reward program from Sephora , includes product sampling as an integral part and major benefit of its strategy. The cosmetics company is well-known for providing free product samples with each online order. There are a few reasons why this is a great tactic.

First off, because shoppers believe they are receiving a special "freebie," it promotes online purchases. Additionally, loyal customers enjoy the feeling of receiving rewards for their patronage and being appreciated by the brand.

Finally, because the sales happen online and customers can select their own samples, Sephora is able to monitor whether or not those customers go on to purchase the product in their subsequent online shopping session. If you're wondering how product sampling has worked for Sephora, know that there are 17 million participants in the Sephora reward program in North America alone, and they account for 80 percent of the company's revenue.

In , Cheerios saw a chance to take advantage of Amazon's e-commerce algorithms to potentially market its product to over million Amazon Prime members in the US. Cheerios used product sampling as part of its strategy to capitalize on Amazon Prime Day 16 - 17 June and position Honey Nut Cheerios as Alexa's cereal of choice for Amazon customers.

The advantages were two-fold for Cheerios. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Product Sampling - Googleplex, Mountain View, CA. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Product Sampling at Holiday Ice Skating Rink - Union Square, San Francisco.

Chloe's Ice Pop Product Sampling - Portland, OR. PRODUCT SAMPLING and Why It's Essential. Product sampling increases brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales Get your brand sample into people's hands, homes, and workplaces Reach audiences at ideal times and places with product sampling campaigns Enhance your CPG sampling with unique experiences and activities Spark product sales with coupons and promo codes Extend your product sampling impact with social media Be the first to share and people will remember you.

Product sampling: What You Need To Know. Product sampling can take place in various settings, with the following tactics being among the most popular: Street Sampling - This traditional method, often called opportunity sampling, involves distributing product samples to people in high-traffic areas, such as outside transit stations, near concert venues, and in bustling shopping districts.

I Event Sampling - Participating in events like concerts, festivals, and sports stadiums, offering access to large audiences in a single day. Product Sampling Services ALT TERRAIN is an experiential product sampling agency that specializes in producing innovative and engaging sampling campaigns.

Here's what to expect when working with us: 1. Book A Time To Chat. How to plan for your product sampling marketing campaign 1. Know your ideal customer, and choose locations they frequent 3. Integrate sampling booths or signs to pique people's interest from afar 4.

Utilize well-trained and outfitted brand ambassadors 5. Support with a logistics team to receive, store, and transport, specifically for sampling products at events 6. Use trial-size, packaged product samples so people can easily place them in their pocket or purse 7.

Include an irresistible call-to-action to incentivize purchases 8. Integrate social media activities, contests, and promotions whenever possible 9. Budget for an onsite manager to oversee setup, make improvements in real-time, and document the sampling Measure estimated impressions, engagements, consumer comments, and social media impact Secure proper insurance to cover the public, location, and the sampling staff Top 10 product sampling ideas 1.

Surprise-and-delight commuters with a product sample outside transit stations 2. Standout with costumed characters and attention-generating signage 3. Activate sampling near locations where people can make a purchase 4.

Integrate influencer visits as part of your sampling campaign 5. Promote sampling activations before, during, and after on your social media channels 6.

Incentivize people to share the sampling experience on social media 8. Complement sampling efforts with geotargeted social media buys 9. Tie in your sampling concept with a holiday, national days, and awareness months Availability Experiential product sampling teams available in every major US city: New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Miami and every city in between.

Takeaways Experiential product sampling marketing is a natural fit for most consumer goods brands, especially food, beverage, and beauty companies. Connect We'd love to hear about your brand and goals; please introduce yourself.

Get your brand into people's hands! Product sampling marketing FAQ. What is product sampling marketing? What are product sampling best practices? Product sampling best practices: 1.

Select sampling locations where your desired customer frequents 3. Train your staff on the brand history, story, benefits, and FAQs 4. Create a presence that piques people's interest, represents the brand well, stimulates the senses, and functions for your logistical needs 5.

Ensure safety and cleanliness of your space, setup, staff, and customers 6. Outfit your sampling staff with, at a minimum, branded caps and shirts 7. Include a irresistible, time-sensitive offer people to purchase the product 8.

What does product sampling marketing cost? What is the product sampling conversion rate? Examples of product sampling marketing strategies? Here is a list of the most common product sampling marketing strategies: 1. Sample products as close to the purchase point as possible 2.

Sample products during people's mass transit commutes 3. Sample at festivals, concerts, and similar events to associate your brand with people's enjoyable memories 4. Product sampling tends to be most common in the world of consumer packaged goods CPG. However, other industries benefit from sampling too, such as apparel and technology.

There are numerous benefits to an effective product sampling program. As Babbitt discovered in the 19th century, when consumers are loyal to a particular brand, it can be extremely difficult to get them to try anything else.

When you offer free samples of your product, you remove the risk for the consumer. Think about a customer going to a grocery store. Many of them already have a list written down of their needs. Conversely, handing out a sample of your product in the middle of the store instantly gets you noticed.

Giving your customers the chance to experience your product first hand before purchase gives you a much higher chance of boosting your brand awareness. For example, Snack Factory ran a product sampling program for a brand new product: Flat pretzel crackers. Generating more customer reviews for your product is critical.

A product sampling program provides the perfect opportunity to generate more ratings, reviews, and additional user-generated content. A product sampling program is particularly helpful when launching a new brand or product within a brand. By providing potential customers with your products, you begin to build the foundation of trust and loyalty.

You might not get it from everyone, but for many, the option of trying a product and getting to experience it first hand before purchase is the ultimate form of brand trust and relationship building. Although many types of product sampling programs exist, they can generally be divided into two categories:.

Traditional product sampling is the in-person or event-based sampling method. Think of when you walk through Costco and you see the vendors handing out free samples. Or when beauty brands offer free skincare samples. Traditional product sampling provides an immersive experience by allowing potential consumers to experience your products.

It also promotes brand awareness and gets your product in front of people who may have never heard of you. However, with traditional product sampling, audience targeting is usually out of reach since your samples are handed out to whoever is there, rather than a targeted audience.

Product sampling opportunities - Browse PRODUCT SAMPLING jobs ($40k-$70k) from companies with openings that are hiring now. Find job postings near you and 1-click apply! Product Sampling jobs available on jav-way.site Apply to Brand Ambassador, Demonstrator, Quality Technician and more! 1. Direct Mail Sampling. Direct mail sampling is straightforward. This type of program involves sending samples or trial products via mail product sampling demo jobs available. See salaries, compare reviews, easily apply, and get hired. New product sampling demo careers are added daily on

Select sampling locations where your desired customer frequents. Train your staff on the brand history, story, benefits, and FAQs. Create a presence that piques people's interest, represents the brand well, stimulates the senses, and functions for your logistical needs.

Ensure safety and cleanliness of your space, setup, staff, and customers. Outfit your sampling staff with, at a minimum, branded caps and shirts. Include a irresistible, time-sensitive offer people to purchase the product.

Document your sampling activation in real-time for quality assurance and content marketing purposes. Product sampling marketing rates vary widely depending upon the venue, setup, number of activation dates, staffing needs, and numerous other factors.

Share your brand sampling goals with ALT TERRAIN and we'll be glad to provide you an estimate. Here is a list of the most common product sampling marketing strategies:. Sample products as close to the purchase point as possible.

Sample at festivals, concerts, and similar events to associate your brand with people's enjoyable memories. Sample at or near high-profile locations or happenings for content marketing purposes. For product sampling marketing strategies for your brand, please get in touch with ALT TERRAIN for a complimentary proposal.

Essential information to share with an agency to produce an effective product sampling marketing initiative:. Marketing assets available e.

What other marketing elements are in-the-mix e. at the same time as the sampling initiative. Summer Product Sampling Marketing Activation Venice Beach.

Vitamin Supplement Product Sampling Street Team Company Example - Financial District, New York City. Product Sampling Street Team - Boston. Innisfree Skincare Beauty Product Sampling Street Team Marketing - New York University, NYC.

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Product Sampling - Googleplex, Mountain View, CA. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Product Sampling at Holiday Ice Skating Rink - Union Square, San Francisco.

Chloe's Ice Pop Product Sampling - Portland, OR. PRODUCT SAMPLING and Why It's Essential. Product sampling increases brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales Get your brand sample into people's hands, homes, and workplaces Reach audiences at ideal times and places with product sampling campaigns Enhance your CPG sampling with unique experiences and activities Spark product sales with coupons and promo codes Extend your product sampling impact with social media Be the first to share and people will remember you.

Product sampling: What You Need To Know. Product sampling can take place in various settings, with the following tactics being among the most popular: Street Sampling - This traditional method, often called opportunity sampling, involves distributing product samples to people in high-traffic areas, such as outside transit stations, near concert venues, and in bustling shopping districts.

I Event Sampling - Participating in events like concerts, festivals, and sports stadiums, offering access to large audiences in a single day. Product Sampling Services ALT TERRAIN is an experiential product sampling agency that specializes in producing innovative and engaging sampling campaigns.

Here's what to expect when working with us: 1. Book A Time To Chat. How to plan for your product sampling marketing campaign 1. Know your ideal customer, and choose locations they frequent 3. Integrate sampling booths or signs to pique people's interest from afar 4.

Utilize well-trained and outfitted brand ambassadors 5. Support with a logistics team to receive, store, and transport, specifically for sampling products at events 6. Use trial-size, packaged product samples so people can easily place them in their pocket or purse 7. Include an irresistible call-to-action to incentivize purchases 8.

Integrate social media activities, contests, and promotions whenever possible 9. Budget for an onsite manager to oversee setup, make improvements in real-time, and document the sampling Measure estimated impressions, engagements, consumer comments, and social media impact Secure proper insurance to cover the public, location, and the sampling staff Top 10 product sampling ideas 1.

Surprise-and-delight commuters with a product sample outside transit stations 2. Standout with costumed characters and attention-generating signage 3. Activate sampling near locations where people can make a purchase 4. Integrate influencer visits as part of your sampling campaign 5.

Promote sampling activations before, during, and after on your social media channels 6. Incentivize people to share the sampling experience on social media 8. Complement sampling efforts with geotargeted social media buys 9. You can give out samples in-store or at events, such as trade shows or conferences.

You can also use digital platforms, such as websites or social media, to distribute samples. In-store sampling is one of the most popular methods of product sampling because it allows you to reach potential customers who are already in the store shopping.

This type of sampling gives customers the opportunity to try out your product before they make a purchase decision, which helps encourage them to buy it over other products. However, this type of sampling requires more resources than other types since you need to have staff members available to give out the samples in person.

Need to heat your samples or keep them cold? No problem. We have sampling solutions that are tried and tested, and approved for use. Mall Sampling is very similar to in-store sampling, except the demo stands can often be larger and more creative.

It is also possible in some malls to mobile sample, allowing shoppers to be targeted throughout the mall - the sampling staff can walk around the mall with trolleys or trays, distributing samples to people that fit their audience profile.

Event sampling is another great way to get your product into the hands of potential customers who may not have heard about it otherwise. Events like trade shows and conferences attract large crowds who are interested in learning more about new products and services—making them ideal venues for product sampling.

Event sampling also allows you to engage with potential customers face-to-face and answer any questions they may have about your product on the spot. The downside is that event marketing requires more planning than other forms of marketing since you must coordinate with event organisers and determine which events will best suit your needs.

Digital platforms offer companies an effective way to reach consumers without needing physical presence at an event or store location. Websites and social media are two popular ways for businesses to sample their products online by providing coupons or discounts for users who sign up for their services or products.

While this type of sampling doesn't require as much planning as event marketing does, it does require an understanding of digital marketing techniques such as SEO search engine optimization and social media advertising strategies if you want your samples to reach their intended audience effectively.

To solve this problem, they enlisted the help of Walmart for a unique product sampling campaign. Glade took the packing pillows used to protect products during home deliveries and filled them with their air freshener.

So, as people unpacked their Walmart purchases and popped their pillows, the scent of Glade's spring fragrance wafted through the air. They also printed a QR code on the packaging that people could scan to buy Glade's products directly.

Ogilvy Chicago, the ad agency behind the campaign, claimed that Glade home fragrances had an 83 percent boost in sales on Walmart. com thanks to this innovative product sampling idea. Beauty Insider, the wildly popular reward program from Sephora , includes product sampling as an integral part and major benefit of its strategy.

The cosmetics company is well-known for providing free product samples with each online order. There are a few reasons why this is a great tactic. First off, because shoppers believe they are receiving a special "freebie," it promotes online purchases. Additionally, loyal customers enjoy the feeling of receiving rewards for their patronage and being appreciated by the brand.

Finally, because the sales happen online and customers can select their own samples, Sephora is able to monitor whether or not those customers go on to purchase the product in their subsequent online shopping session.

If you're wondering how product sampling has worked for Sephora, know that there are 17 million participants in the Sephora reward program in North America alone, and they account for 80 percent of the company's revenue. In , Cheerios saw a chance to take advantage of Amazon's e-commerce algorithms to potentially market its product to over million Amazon Prime members in the US.

Cheerios used product sampling as part of its strategy to capitalize on Amazon Prime Day 16 - 17 June and position Honey Nut Cheerios as Alexa's cereal of choice for Amazon customers. The advantages were two-fold for Cheerios. In addition to promoting the brand to new customers with a free sample, this transaction automatically created a Cheerios shopping history for millions of Amazon Prime shoppers.

This gave the product a huge boost in Amazon's recommendation algorithm and moved Honey Nut Cheerios to number one in the cereal category and even the number one grocery item on Prime Day. One of the biggest and best-known brewing companies in the world, Anheuser-Busch produces a wide range of popular alcoholic drinks, including Michelob, Bud Light, and Budweiser.

In , when the company launched its hard seltzer brand, Bud Light Seltzer, its existing in-store sampling programs had been discontinued due to the COVID pandemic. As an alternative, they collaborated with a digital product sampling platform and developed a digital sampling campaign to encourage first purchases, track repeat purchases, create user-generated content, and even spread word of mouth.

In less than two months, the campaign resulted in an 82 percent positive shopper sentiment, with first-time buyers accounting for 89 percent of purchases. Additionally, each consumer rating of 7 or higher was used to create and publish high-quality content on Product 1 and Aisle 9 , averaging 7.

Video