One of the most common challenges that businesses face when they decide to undertake a sampling campaign is having the time and the resources to implement it.
The best way to address this situation is to engage with a professional sampling agency that can manage every step, to ensure their product is professionally represented, and that both retailers and customers have a positive and successful sampling experience.
Technology and social media play an integral role in any marketing strategy, and sampling campaigns are no exception. Linda Lilley, National Business Manager of The Generalist Promo, said that they often integrated campaigns with social media platforms along with competition elements to encourage engagement, which has been a great way to add an extra touch-point to a sampling campaign.
She added that these can also be communicated to customers at the store level by displaying a QR code on the demo table for scanning, or by adding competition details and social account handles to discount coupons or flyers given to customers.
“Our campaigns always have at least one, if not all of these elements in the mix so that we can offer our clients more opportunity for engagement,” said Lilley.
The success of a campaign can also be measured differently by each client, so it is important to discuss expectations about campaign outcomes before the work begins. Most clients measure campaign success by the number of samples distributed and the number of sales achieved.
The Generalist Promo’s post-analysis reports provide comprehensive data, including conversion rates of samples to sales, which offer a solid measurement to gauge success.
An example of a sampling campaign that achieved a high conversion rate, as mentioned by Lilley, was a recent one for New Zealand Avocado that demonstrated the ease of preparing a delicious guacamole with just four ingredients.
“After tasting the guacamole, customers were eager to recreate it at home.”
This resulted in a conversion rate of an estimated 80 to 90 percent per session, and Lilley highlighted that most customers purchased more than one avocado after trying a sample.
The conversion was cemented further by offering customers a free magnet for their fridge, featuring the guacamole recipe, which ensured they were reminded to continue purchasing New Zealand Avocado.
More about sampling in the latest issue here
