Use hyper-targeted product sampling to benefit your brand

While all platforms are bombarded with advertisements, cutting through when showcasing your product is vital.

Think of it as experiential marketing, where the potential consumers get the opportunity to engage with the brand and product. In the case of FMCG products, sampling works wonders as the target audience gets first-hand experience of the product offered and all its aspects like packaging, product quality, uses, and so on and gets to explore their senses with it. This kind of marketing is crucial in securing new and loyal consumers. ?

Many business resources mention that keeping a customer is more challenging and expensive than getting a new one. Earning loyalty happens through long-term consistency. For most product categories, FMCG consumers are not likely to think much or over a long period before buying a product.

Outcomes that a brand looks for when investing in product sampling are increased sales, trials of a product, feedback from authentic users, and other user-generated content. One simple factor is that people like free stuff. Apart from imparting with better understanding, sampling also provides a positive customer experience and contributes to increasing the chance of immediate sales.?

Sampling is a technique that brands have executed for years, yet there are a few common mistakes that commonly occur.

Offering too many samples

Brands must be intentional with their offering. A handful of options makes decision-making easy as opposed to when given multiple choices.?

No Call-to-Action

Once the target group/ individual has received the product sample and has enjoyed it, they should want to purchase the product or at least engage with it in another capacity. A CTA must go along with the sample. For instance, follow the brand page on social media and leave feedback on the brand or retailer?s website/ e-commerce portal.

Not moving beyond in-person sampling

Apart from discounts and sales, E-commerce retailers can incentivize their shoppers to buy more or during a period by offering free samples. For instance, Sephora, a leading cosmetic and beauty store, also retails through its e-commerce website and mobile app and offers its customers free samples or a gift when their cart exceeds a certain amount. The free samples encourage customers to try newer brands/ products and engage with them.?

An incorrect estimate of the cost impact?

The cost of sampling a product is not the same as merely the cost of the product. It involves logistics costs and packaging costs as well. Therefore the product sample must be received by the appropriate TG.

In an industry like FMCG, consumer engagement is directly proportionate to the success of a brand/ product. It conveys long-term benefits like brand loyalty and advocacy that lead to more sales and profits.?

Here is how ClipBox can help FMCG brands

reduce the Customer Acquisition Costs [CAC] and provide an effective marketing tool for brands.

Decrease the time required to gain feedback

ClipBox incentivises the consumer to share feedback and ensures that it comes from a verified consumer rather than a paid source or fake reviews.?

Customer insights

With ClipBox one can know the buying pattern and behaviour of the customer and how frequently they purchase a particular product.?

Beat price point with quality

Some consumers may be price sensitive but would not mind spending the extra buck when the product is of higher quality. In cases like these, sampling is an easy technique to showcase and prove the quality.?

Data-driven sampling

Targeting the right and high-value customers makes the campaign and reach far more effective. Direct-to-home sampling reduces sampling pilferage and operational challenges.?