How to continue product sampling during Covid-19 restrictions
Sampling products has been made incredibly difficult globally given Covid-19 restrictions. This has impacted every business that relies on trial to drive sales.
Our research has shown consumers are continuing to spend but falling back on the old reliable brands rather than trying something new. They are not switching or taking on new products as trial through sampling has vanished.
We have a solution. We are working with our current clients in Ireland and our global partners to deliver samples to their audience. It’s a simple process with full details here. The software allows brands to continue engaging with their audience post sample to ensure that there is a lasting engagement and interaction.
We have always been incredibly targeted in how we approach the science behind a sampling campaign as can be seen with the Heineken 0.0 integrated sampling campaign. The new software allows us to be incredibly specific about who a brand samples there product to and then how they follow up with the audience following the initial sample.
Sampling Facts
1. 73% of consumers said they were likely to buy a product after trying it
2. 59% of consumers are likely to tell others about new products they’ve experienced
3. Sampled items showed an average +475% cumulative sales increase
Case Study
Vodafone wanted to position themselves as an innovator in the mobile-space amongst tech-savvy Londoners within the 25-54 age range, coming to Verizon Media for a solution that combined editorial activity with an exciting, creative format utilising the latest trending tech.
During the ‘Find Unlimited’ week, Vodafone launched a mobile-web based platform that gave users a chance to discover drop-zones in a map on their phone and head to the location to pick up prizes in AR.
To grab a prize, participants needed to find items in AR dropped in six high footfall location across Central London each day. Clues to the prize locations could be unlocked by sharing the competition on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. And whilst anyone could play, Vodafone customers were given a head start with exclusive clues for locating prizes given at 11AM each day.
The ‘Find Unlimited’ delivered great results for the client aligned to their campaign objectives, with 32M impressions over the course of the campaign. Over 23K users registered to play the game during the week, with the campaign even trending on Twitter ahead of the Rugby World Cup on an England match- day. Users spent over five months worth of brand engagement (dwell time) in the five days the campaign ran.
Independent brand research from OnDevice also showed the campaign stimulated significant growth in spontaneous awareness for both Vodafone and the iPhone. 31% of users said they found out more about the new iPhone 11 through the campaign (awareness +7%pts), with trust, innovation and pricing perceptions also seeing a positive uplift as a result of the campaign.
1.https://samplingadvisors.com/tools/w2.pdf
2.https://www.nielsen.com/uk/en/press-releases/2013/global-consumers-more-likely-to-buy-new-products-from-familiar-b0/
3.https://retailtouchpoints.com/features/industry-insights/a-fresh-look-at-in-store-sampling