5 Lessons You Can Learn From Bad In-Store Sampling

We’ve never been shy about the fact that in-store sampling is more of a science than an art form. While some creativity is absolutely needed, a lot of the concepts that make a sampling event a success are backed up by scientific research, trial and error. Trial and error of course is no bad thing- it means we can learn from the mistakes and improve the sampling experience. On that note, here are 5 lessons you can learn from bad in-store sampling of the past so that you can make your next event a roaring success. 

Share Information With Your Provider 

No one knows your products better than you do – that’s a given. But when you’re working with a third-party company (like us) to help you with in-store sampling, you need to open up and share. We are the experts in sampling, your the product experts, and together it’s a match made in heaven. 

The more information you share with your sampling partner, the better your results will be. We can use all of that information to tell the story of your brand, what makes your products unique, how they’re created and even the ethos of the company. No detail is too small, so throw it all at us! 

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Track Your Competition 

Most brands will remember to track their own progress – and may even obsess over the analytics. But many forget that you can get just as much information, from tracking your competition. A lot of it can be more valuable too! 

Your competitor research can give your marketing an edge if done at the right time. For example, we’ve seen household cleaning products run sampling campaigns the week after their main competitor ran a deep in-store discount, which meant their efforts were nowhere near as effective as they could be.

So while you’re negotiating with the retailer, make sure you ask plenty of probing questions to find out what other demos or promotions are happening at the same time, or just before. This will give you the information you need to make informed decisions. If you have the budget to do so, you could even lock out your competition altogether by securing all of the available in-store promotions – including end caps, price offers and in-store activations – for your brand. You’ll be the most visible option out there!

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Don’t Make Extra Work For The Customers

Customers don’t want to put in effort for the companies they buy from. Sorry to be blunt – but they don’t! So the easier and simpler you can make things for the customer, the more likely they are to get involved with your demonstration.

For example, try to secure a demonstration spot in the store that’s as close as possible to your product on the shelves. This might not always be possible, but if you are set up near your product is, you’ll get better results. If they have to go searching for your products after sampling, there’s a good chance they will get distracted or lose interest. However, we know that sometimes you can’t choose where your stand is, so if you’re too far from where your product is on the shelf, make sure you have a separate supply with you to hand out to interested customers. 

Set Objectives, Every Time

It’s very difficult to know if you’ve been successful at something without a goal in mind. So our big question here is – how will you know if your in-store sampling campaign has gone well? 

The easy answer is to set out some clear objectives before you even start. By knowing what you want to achieve, you can take steps to make that happen, and measure your success effectively afterwards. For example, are you looking to increase brand awareness, or boost sales? The more you understand what your ideal outcomes are, the more your sampling partner can do to help you achieve them.

Take Advantage of Seasonal Opportunities

Across the year there are many opportunities for seasonal promotions. Some products lend themselves to this very naturally, while others need a little more creative thinking, but almost all products can benefit from some seasonal marketing. Think about it – condiments always see a big surge in popularity in early summer, while mint sauces and stuffing are generally purchased more during the autumn and winter. On top of the seasonal events, there are other activities throughout the year that can present opportunities for your brand. For example, because Robinsons Squash has a longstanding relationship with Wimbledon, they time their demonstrations and marketing around it. If you were a company selling strawberries or cream, this would also be a great opportunity, as demand is high!

 At Fizz Experience, we know what it takes to run a successful in-store sampling campaign. After all, we’ve been doing it for over 30 years! Our experts work closely with you to gather all of the information they need ahead of the demo, create a strategy including goals and tapping into seasonal opportunities, and run a successful event on the day. Once it’s finished, we will also provide you with a report on how well the event went, with metrics to compare against your goals. 

If you’d like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.

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At Fizz, food sampling is in our blood. It’s what we’ve been doing for over 30 years, and we do it well. We offer a complete end-to-end experiential marketing service for food and drinks brands, providing all of the strategic thinking as well as the practical, boots-on-the-ground work for your sampling experiences. We have the skills and knowledge to make sure the event is delivered to your high standards, and ours. If you’d like to know more about food sampling and how we go about it, give us a call today and book your free consultation.