In-store product sampling – what you are doing wrong (and how to fix it)

REEFExperiential Marketing Blog
in-store product sampling
We know that a product sample campaign is a great way to increase your sales. However, like all marketing campaigns, you get back what you put into it. Marketing with product samples is more than just giving small pieces of your product to potential customers, it’s about creating an experience that will get them craving more. If your product sampling campaign isn’t quite working how you’d expect, here are a few things that you may be doing wrong.

Unengaged sample staff

While your product should be the star of the show, a product sample campaign requires an important supporting cast to make it shine. Your brand staff should be engaged during every step of a samplers journey from inviting them to try the product and offering further information about the product, to closing with a special deal or simply the price of the product and where consumers can find it. Engaging with an enthusiastic representative will make consumers enthusiastic to buy the product. Plus, they will walk away with the memory of a positive interaction with your brand.

Not offering enough information about the product 

While your staff members should be offering information through the sampling experience, your activation should also have information to make the consumer’s shopping experience easier than ever. Having the product price displayed will go a long way in providing consumers with immediate information. We also recommend displaying packaging for your product and all of its flavour options. Not only will this give consumers a well-rounded understanding of your product, but it will also help them identify the product on the shelf the next time they’re out shopping.

Pushy sales techniques

We’ve all experienced the pushy salesperson and we can all agree it is not the greatest experience. This is because your product sampling campaign isn’t just a sales push, it is an opportunity to create a positive experience between your brand and consumers. Instead of pushy selling, your sampling experience should be filled with useful knowledge about how your product can help solve a problem for the customer. 

Unengaging activation

If you’re unable to attract shoppers to your activation, in-store product sampling will not reap the results you expect. Just like your staff members should be inviting, your activation should be too. Using branded materials will offer a double impact of sprucing up your space while promoting your company. A branded tablecloth and some framed table signs can go a long way to attracting attention from passersby. 

Get started on your next in-store product sampling campaign

Product samples campaigns aren’t as free as they appear on the outside. So when your campaigns aren’t creating the meaningful impact you need, it’s time to change up your strategy. From hiring the right staff to executing a head-turning activation, trust the marketing experts at Reef Agency to make every detail of your product sampling a success. Check out some of the successful campaigns we’ve run in the past here.