In today’s world, nothing sells more than an experience. When you give a potential customer the best experience while they are deciding, you exponentially increase your chances of getting picked. And what can be a better experience than letting them try the product? This is exactly what product sampling marketing examples are all about.
It’s a modern technique for increasing sales by giving a glimpse of your product to a potential buyer and convincing them. This technique involves sending product samples to people and letting them use them. Brands then ask them to review the product or any form of User Generated Content (UGC). Showcasing this content on different eCommerce marketing fronts shows the authentic experience a user might have while using the product.
This technique promotes your product in several ways, and we have listed some of the most successful product sampling marketing examples. Explore and execute them in your next marketing strategy to boost your brand growth like never before.
10 Product Sampling Marketing Examples with Real-world Results
Let’s explore ten inspiring examples across various industries.
These brands used sampling to generate buzz, create visual User-Generated Content (UGC), and drive sales.
Get ready to discover how sampling can be a powerful eCommerce tool for building brand loyalty and engagement!
Food and Beverage
1. Costco:
Costco has perfected the art of turning casual shoppers into customers. With generous portions and various products, Costco’s food samples create a sensory journey that often ends with a full shopping cart.
Beyond driving immediate sales, these in-store experiences spark conversations and inspire social media shares, transforming satisfied customers into brand advocates. Some people posted about these samples on social media, providing impactful social proof for Costco.
2. Lays:
We all agree that Lays knows how to your taste buds. By distributing sample packs of their latest chip flavors, Lays creates a sense of anticipation and exclusivity.
This approach generates buzz, for sure, but that’s not it. It also encourages consumers to share their flavor preferences on social media, providing invaluable insights for future product development. By providing samples to food influencers, Lays also very smartly reaches out to thousands of people with just a few samples.
3. Ben & Jerry’s:
Who doesn’t love a free scoop of ice cream? Ben & Jerry’s knows experiential marketing is not just a mere trend. By offering free event samples, the brand creates memorable moments that connect with consumers personally.
B&J knows such interactions often lead to social media shoutouts, visually appealing content, and a stronger emotional connection to the brand. Providing samples at events also helped the brand gather reviews, which eventually helped them improve the flavors.
Beauty and Personal Care
1. L’Oreal:
One of the finest beauty sampling players, L’Oreal, does a great job leveraging beauty boxes and magazines to bring sample-sized products to consumers’ homes. This strategy creates brand awareness among potential customers, influences their purchase decisions, and thus results in sales.
2. Dove:
As a product associated with health and cleanliness, Dove gives out body wash and lotion sachets to health-conscious individuals in fitness centers. Thus, the placement of the products ensures that the target audience gets to see them and associates the brand with Dove as a reliable provider of self-care products.
3. Nykaa:
Nykaa, one of the leading beauty retailers, knows the importance of product recommendations. Their sample kits contain products that customers can try, making it convenient to discover new brands and select the best ones.
Nykaa also sent product samples to UGC creators who used the product and shared their experiences on social media, helping the brand expand its reach. You can also enjoy it by connecting with the perfect UGC creator via Tagshop.
With Tagshop, you can also collect the video created by the UGC creator and showcase it on your website. You can make the shoppable fashion UGC to enhance the shopping experience of a potential buyer.
Read More: Cosmetics and Beauty Marketing Strategies
Technology
1. Bose:
Bose is known for offering clients the best sound quality. Their in-store demonstrations and sample listening sessions enable consumers to experience Bose products firsthand.
These sessions help potential buyers learn about the product and compare it to other products to make a better decision. By demonstrating the higher quality of sound, Bose directly gains the trust of audiophiles, which increases brand loyalty, making this one of the most effective product sampling marketing examples.
2. Samsung:
Samsung also allows consumers to test their newly developed smartphones and tablets for a short period of time, and the trial period is free of charge. This approach reduces purchase risk and persuades consumers to promote the brands through word of mouth and sharing on social media platforms.
Samsung is known for sending its phones to celebrities or tech influencers and asking them to review the product. These people’s followers learn about the new smartphone and its features.
Other Industries
1. Warby Parker:
Warby Parker’s home try-on program has changed the eyewear industry for good. By offering multiple frames that can be tried at home, Warby Parker minimizes the effort a customer has to make to buy a pair of glasses and thus maximizes the chances of a sale. The program also creates much user-generated content since customers post their “try-on” sessions on their social media.
2. Blue Apron:
This is one of the most innovative product sampling marketing examples. Making cooking accessible, Blue Apron offers a unique sampling experience. By providing a discounted first order, the company entices potential customers to try their meal kits and experience the convenience and flavor firsthand. This approach often leads to customer retention as users become hooked on the service.
These social commerce examples demonstrate the potential of product sampling in terms of its versatility. From the flavors of food and beverages to the sensationalism of technology, these brands have successfully transformed potential customers into brand enthusiasts.
Let’s Wrap Up!
Product sampling is one of the most effective marketing techniques for turning people with interest into loyal customers. Brands can be easily remembered because they offer something consumers can touch and feel.
In the product sampling marketing examples we have discussed, effective product sampling entails identifying the target market, choosing sampling points, and coordinating with other marketing activities.
One of the most effective Product sampling techniques is sending the samples to UGC creators and letting them share their experiences on social media. This provides more people with information about the product and exponentially increases brand awareness.
With eCommerce tools like Tagshop, you can connect with the perfect creator for your industry and make the most of this strategy. Tagshop also offers shoppable UGC videos to make your eCommerce store more convenient and visually appealing.
Thus, no matter the industry you operate in – food and beverage, beauty, technology, and others – product sampling should be on your list of marketing tactics to enjoy the benefits of this effective approach.
