Sampling types. Sampling. Good old sampling

Sampling is a marketing technique that aims to promote a product by giving free advertising samples to potential buyers. The term comes from the English "sample" - "sample". Sampling is a very effective means of increasing the popularity of your product, as well as a display tool new products To the market.

Sampling is a response to the consumer's belief that you can't buy a pig in a poke. A free sample that you can try or try will give you a first impression of the product. target audience, which means that when choosing between your product and a competitive one, a trained person is more likely to choose yours. A cheaper, but unknown-tasting package of milk is not so attractive against the background of the “favorite” by the buyer. By spending a small part of the display at the point of sale for tasting, you will introduce the audience to your product, after which they will be able to make an informed choice in your favor.

According to the observations of marketers of the "Effect" company, sampling works very well in the CIS. In big cities like Moscow and small towns, people love free samples that they give out in stores or give with purchases. The domestic buyer is open to everything new and can easily change his preferred brand if he is shown something superior to it in certain parameters.

Tasting and sampling are methods that are close in meaning. The difference between them is that during the tasting, the consumer receives an open sample, which he can only consume on the spot. Sampling, on the other hand, provides the product in a package, so, if desired, a potential client can take home a “probe” and test it there. It is also important that tasting only concerns food products, while sampling covers all categories of goods.

When is the best time to use sampling?

Sampling is very well suited for promotions and audience building periods. Buyers who have no idea about your products are not motivated to buy in any way. The advertising campaign and POS materials, of course, influence their decision, but nothing campaigns for a product more than the opportunity to try it. Cheese may look beautiful in the package, but it can be a long time before a customer decides to purchase it. If he tries it in advance and finds it tasty, then the chance of buying it increases significantly.

Sampling to expand the audience is always effective, so it can be used at any time. True, the more famous the product, the less the effect of sampling: it will be difficult to find those who have not yet tried your product. Therefore, the most hyped products are sampled only in rare cases. For example, when there is a batch with an approaching expiration date.

Seasonal sampling is very effective. During a period of natural increase in demand for product groups, it will be a good decision to additionally advertise your products. The most striking example is the May holidays, on which it is traditionally customary to go to barbecues. These days, sampling meats, ketchups, sauces, soft drinks, and the like is the most effective.

The second application of sampling is the launch of new product lines. This is true both for new products from popular companies and for products from unknown manufacturers. The principle of operation is similar: until potential buyers try, they are not motivated to buy. Sampling makes it possible to attract buyers and form a target audience in the shortest possible time.

The sampling technique allows you to collect data about your customers. Calculate the age and gender of potential buyers, their habits and preferences. Thanks to this information, you can make timely adjustments to the advertising campaign and thus avoid financial losses. Summarizing all of the above, sampling is always effective, but it should not be used too often. A repeated action after a short period of time in the same place will be ineffective, since the audience of potential buyers will not have time to change.

Sampling types

There are several basic types of sampling. All of them are somehow aimed at ensuring that a person receives a “probe” of your products. The mechanisms for the transfer of goods vary, as well as the places of their distribution. In the CIS countries, it is customary to carry out sampling directly at the points of sale - this will allow a potential buyer to become a valid "on the spot". The effect of “spontaneous purchase” is triggered - a person “grabs” the product he likes simply “at the same time”.

In the West, samples are also offered simply on the streets or door-to-door. These varieties of sampling have not taken root in our country due to the peculiarities of Russian buyers.

According to the transmission mechanics, the following types of sampling are distinguished:

  • pack swap- or simply "exchange". As part of such an action, promoters offer to replace the half-empty packaging of the product of the same product group with the full one of the promoted brand. Advantage this method in that a person has the opportunity "on the spot" to compare the quality of the used and promoted product. The exchange is a success with buyers, as they do not have a subconscious feeling of "free cheese". Everything is fair - they changed their packaging to another;
  • dry sampling- promoters simply distribute goods in individual packaging. It could be like chewing gum or a bag of milk, as well as shampoo, soap, care products household appliances. This technique is called "dry" sampling due to the fact that the potential buyer takes the product home and uses it a little later. This method of distribution is quite good, the "probes" with it disperse very quickly, but no one guarantees that people will use them. The reaction of the consumer will also be unknown. A subspecies of "dry" sampling is a "gift" upon purchase. Buyers take such presents with almost 100% chance, but whether they use them is unknown;
  • wet sampling- the opposite of "dry" sampling. With such a distribution, individual packaging is not provided, the consumer is obliged to use the goods on the spot. The clearest example is tasting, with the only caveat that “tasting” is not only products, but also soaps, shampoos, and so on. Wet sampling is less popular with buyers, but it is easier to collect feedback and opinions with this technique;
  • HoReCa sampling- sampling alcoholic products and cigarettes in restaurants, hotels and cafes. Promoted brands are offered as a "compliment" from the institution or as a gift when ordering a certain amount.

Facts about sampling

  • sampling - The best way increase the consumer audience;
  • the launch of a new product line with sampling allows you to collect feedback and promote a new brand in the shortest possible time;
  • successful sampling can pay off with a 200% profit;
  • sampling is more efficient on weekends;
  • sampling is relevant in times of crisis;
  • "probes" with accompanying advertising materials, for example, booklets - much more effective than without them.

If you have any questions about sampling, please contact advertising company"Effect". We will gladly answer!

Order Sampling service

Based on Drew Gannon's "How to Use Samples to Promote Your Product" article. Do you have a product? Hand out samples! By following the six steps below, you can easily and efficiently distribute samples for any product in any industry. The Gordon Grade Coffee Company's office in Mid-Manhattan is ready to distribute 2,000 servings of Dr. Drip The newly formed company has decided to distribute coffee - its first product - to NYU students preparing for their final session. An attempt at "guerrilla" distribution of Dr. Drip precedes its official launch in a few weeks. This is Gordon Grade's first attempt at distributing free samples. “Of course, you don't really want to give something away for free,” says one of the company's founders, Jesse Gordon. “You never know if the result will justify the expense of building a team to distribute free samples.” Sampling is not a new phenomenon, but its organization is still a problem for many companies. It was originally used when introducing new foods or cosmetics. In any supermarket you can enjoy free product samples, and in the cosmetics department of any shopping center you can smell perfume samples. In other industries, from toys to high technology, sampling is traditionally used much less often, but it can also be used to familiarize potential buyers with the assortment. The sampling procedure itself also changes. Along with the traditional schemes of distributing free samples in stores and through distributors, new creative solutions are emerging that allow companies to enter new markets to distribute their products. Companies are increasingly turning to bloggers, trendsetters and famous people who can act as "promoters". However, despite the fact that the methods of sampling change, the purpose of sampling remains the same. "I want to reach maximum efficiency, Gordon says of distributing samples of his firm's products. “I want to know how sampling will help me grow my business.”

Decide why you are giving away free samples

Feeling is important in a toy. The drink is the taste. Perfume has a scent. Whatever your product, you need to be clear about why running a promotion is so important to your business. marketing plan or sales plan. Before developing a sampling strategy, remember the core values ​​of your company to better understand and communicate to the potential buyer why your product is worth trying. Five years ago, Hosung NY launched miYim, a line of plush toys and accessories for children and babies. Everything was made from certified, non-toxic and recycled cotton. During the distribution of trial copies in the store, customers were pleasantly surprised by this, in addition, they could feel and squeeze the toys. “When people think of our products, they think of cotton or wool, but our toys are so soft that people are always surprised,” says Serah Chae, president of Hosung NY. “Our promotion policy is based on these two factors: unexpectedly pleasant sensations and the opportunity to experience them while hugging toys.” Young companies run promotions that give customers the opportunity to learn about a new product and experiment with it before making a purchase decision. For example, you can test a new software to see if it's comfortable for you to use. “We are a young company,” says Parinda Maley, Fitango's vice president of business development. - It is in our vital interests that the client is as comfortable with us as we are with him. We are prepared to incur additional costs if this means that another enterprise is using our platform.” But even more often, the distribution of free samples, especially cosmetics, is carried out for the convenience of consumer choice. Skincare and makeup products can be really expensive, so you need to be sure you're making a well-informed choice. Today's consumers are guided common sense they don't want to spend their money on something they're not sure about. Therefore, many large cosmetic stores will offer you to take a small amount of the product and try it at home.

Choose your product

First you determine the WHY, and then you decide the WHAT. For new companies, this is a simple solution. And companies that offer entire product lines have a choice. One option is to vary the spread of the probes. OleHenriksen alternates between hits, new products, and "hidden gems" - products that the company believes will be hits when they become available. The skin care line in each category aims to gain mass popularity. For such companies, which have a potentially large and diverse market, conducting different sampling allows you to reach a large part of the target audience, using different marketing techniques in different segments, such as education, business and leisure. For others, like miYim, choosing to sample only new products provides more performance. “It's important for new customers, of course,” says Chae. “But even people who already know us want to see what we can do differently.” Whichever direction you think is right for you, make sure it's the same for your customers.

Find your target audience

As with any marketing tactic, targeting the right audience has crucial for successful distribution of test samples of your products. You can divide your market into several important parts and use different promotions for each of them. For example, if the company's product line includes juices, teas and other drinks, then promotions within such areas as charity, entertainment, health and beauty, fashion and art will bring greater efficiency. You should not be limited to retail outlets, although at first glance this is the most obvious. You need to know where the bulk of your customers are located and what interests them, and, based on this, choose places for promotions. For example, for its original juices, ROM holds promotions at multi-day gastronomic events (culinary marathons), and also transforms its products into chilled drinks for participants and ingredients for gourmet dishes. Because it's so hard to target a baby audience directly, miYim takes a different approach by regularly sending promo samples to almost 100 blogging moms who have a lot of followers. “They let their two-year-olds touch and chew on our toys and see how they feel,” Chae says of the bloggers. “They do real-time product reviews, which is a very strong PR stunt for us.” The use of promotional reviews is useful not only for the audience of the toy industry, but also for hard-to-reach target audiences. When we have decided on the audience, we move on to the plan.

Plan development

Keep in mind that giving away free samples is expensive. You need to know the size of your market and how sampling will affect it. You can't just come up with a number and say, "I want to give out so many samples!" However, you can always schedule additional samples to give away. For each major product line or holiday special, miYim increases its promotional samples by approximately 20% to accommodate unexpected events or emerging demand. The company also saves money 6-8 months in advance by scheduling free samples to avoid unexpected expenses. They also limit their buying audience to reduce shipping costs. “It's not lipstick,” Chae says of his products. - Our toys come in different sizes: from 11 to 35 inches. We do not want them to be treated carelessly during transportation. It's already a marriage." However, sometimes you need to do it strategically important choice and decide on additional packaging costs. Having started their promotions with samples for bottling, ROM quickly realized that the distribution of bottles of 0.25 liters would contribute to the creation of the brand. “People can experiment with them,” says Six. “Of course they are more expensive, but it pays off.”

Support your product

Sampling requires thinking outside the box, both literally and figuratively. The attractiveness of the product for the consumer depends, among other things, on the packaging of promotional samples. You can package your juice in fruit-shaped bottles to enhance your brand image. If you resort to sustainable packaging, you will show that your company cares about environment. Get creative with your packaging, make it stand out enough that someone would actually want to open it up and use what's inside. If you're going to be running promotions, you can make it very casual, or you can turn it into an event for your consumers. The latter will work better.

Sampling should lead to increased sales

Do your promotions work at all? Different metrics are used to determine whether they are truly effective. For example, when giving away free samples of your product, ask your fellow promoters to also try the product and share their impressions via social media. Promo codes are another way to increase sales growth and track performance, almost immediately. What is a promo code? This is a code (word or set of numbers) that is distributed with each probe and that can be used on the company's website, for example, to receive a discount or to free shipping. If you see that no one comes to the site and does not redeem promo codes, then you may not use them on the next promotion. For sampling to be successful, the distribution of samples must lead to increased sales. Giving samples generously is a waste of marketing money if it doesn't generate any revenue. You must remember your ultimate goal- to teach the consumer, to help him master the product, so that he buys it. Giving away free samples can be difficult, boring, and drain your company. But if, in the end, your customer base expanded, the effort was worth it. “It's such an important part of the marketing mix. If you want someone to try your product twice, they must try it at least once.”

Increasing the amount of traffic on your site increases the likelihood that Google Analytics will start saving resources and your time to upload reports in its interface. And this leads to data sampling.

What is sampling?

In order to display statistics in reports with a large number of hits on your site, Google Analytics takes only a part of it instead of the entire amount of data.

Have you met this?

This means that Google Analytics took only 10.21% of each day in the date range you selected and, based on this sample, built a report as if 100% of the events had the same characteristic as 10.21% of the real data. Simply put, GA multiplied this sample by 10 to get 100%. But how to take into account 90% of the remaining data?

Upload by day with R

Sampling appears if in the uploaded report for the period:

  • Over 500,000 user sessions per resource level;
  • Over 1,000,000 unique strings.

It is logical that you need to reduce the upload period in order to reduce, for example, the number of sessions in the report, so you can upload data by day from Google Analytics using R. So, what you need for this:


Addition

Don't forget that the upload goes by the day, so calculated indicators (bounce rate, % exits, etc.) cannot be uploaded in this way. You can download separately the necessary indicators for their calculation and calculate them yourself for the period you need.

Most of us know that marketing work(sampling is part of it) seems to be the most important element both for bringing a new product to the market and for increasing the demand for an already available product. Of course, advertising has long been the main tool used by marketers. But it's not always enough for her. In this regard, today many companies resort to such a tool as sampling (promotions for the free distribution of product samples). We offer a closer look at this concept, learning about its purpose, functionality and varieties.

What is sampling?

In short, sampling is a tool by distributing free samples or giving away samples as a bonus with the purchase of any other goods. At the same time, samples can be distributed in a store, delivered to potential consumers, sent by mail, etc. According to many experts, sampling is one of most effective ways promotion of a new product. However, the use of this tool shows excellent results even if it is necessary to increase sales of products that have been on the market for a long time.

When does it make sense to sample?

Among the consumers of your products, the demand for it is not so great, and you plan to improve this indicator.

Do you want to spend marketing research, the purpose of which is to find out how people like your products.

What is good about sampling?

As we can see, sampling is extremely effective tool. After all, a potential buyer is given a unique opportunity to independently study the packaging, its contents, composition, taste, ease of use and other characteristics of the product. And all this is absolutely free. The main advantage here is to attract increased attention to your brand, which makes it possible for the client to switch from a competing product to yours.

Sampling marketing is a unique tool because it allows you to cover a wide variety of product categories. These include food, cosmetics, perfumes, personal care products, pet products, and much, much more.

Moreover, sampling can be carried out not only in the place of direct sale of goods (as, for example, tasting), but also in open areas (streets, parks, etc.). This allows you to reduce costs and difficulties in coordinating the promotion directly with the management of outlets. So, we propose to summarize the advantages of this marketing tool.

Sampling Benefits

The main benefits include:

Attracting increased consumer attention to your product.

The ability to switch the buyer from the products of competing companies to your brand.

Formation of a consumer habit to purchase exactly the product you are promoting.

Building and strengthening a positive image of your brand in the eyes of potential consumers.

Sampling Varieties

There are three main areas of sampling marketing. We invite you to learn more about them.

1. Distribution of product samples. This option assumes that the product is in a package, which allows a potential buyer to take it with them and, if necessary, use it for its intended purpose already at home. This kind of sampling is called dry sampling. You can distribute samples almost everywhere: on the street, in the subway, shopping malls etc. It is interesting that you can see such sampling in maternity hospitals. It would seem that women who are tired after childbirth are not at all up to advertising any goods. However, some companies, mainly offering baby care products, are gifting new mothers with a whole range of free product images. If a woman is satisfied with the quality of the product, then it is very likely that in the future she will use the products of this particular brand.

2. Tasting. This type of sampling is called wet sampling. In this case, potential buyers are offered to try the products directly at the points of sale. Thus, the likelihood is increased that if the consumer likes the taste or other characteristics of the product, he will be able to purchase it right there on the spot.

3. Ferret. This type of sampling covers cafes, restaurants and hotels. In this case, as a rule, the following product categories are promoted: coffee, non-alcoholic or alcoholic drinks, cigarettes.

What you need to pay attention to when organizing sampling

In order for the campaign to promote your products to be as successful as possible, the following factors must be taken into account:

  • Correct and attractive design of the booth with product samples, as well as training of promoters. Also pay attention to their appearance, because they will represent your product to potential consumers.
  • Selection of the target audience, place and time of the action. Here it is important to calculate exactly when outlet visited by the largest number of your potential customers.
  • Be sure to double-check that the store where you plan to distribute free images can buy this product.
  • Control the work of promoters. After all, a situation is possible when he simply takes some of the samples for himself, passing them off as handed out.

 

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