What is product sampling (and does it work?)
Product sampling is one of the oldest methods of retail marketing. ‘Try before you buy’ gives customers a chance to experience a new product and can have persuasive effects.
Whether it’s because they like the product so much, or because they feel obligated to make a purchase after receiving something ‘for free’, many consumers will go on to buy the promotional item.
Combined with other techniques, such as money-off coupons and price discounting, this can be a highly effective way to build some buzz around a new product – so let’s dive into how product sampling works in practice.
What is product sampling?
Product sampling means giving a free sample of a product to potential customers, so that they can try it and decide whether to make a purchase.
A sample can vary in size, from small items like pieces of cheese or cooked meat handed out at market stalls to full-sized products, such as those sent to influencers by clothing and cosmetics brands. Regardless of size, a sample is something given for free, allowing consumers or retailers to evaluate the product and form their own opinions.
Some other examples of product sampling include:
- Sachet samples of cosmetics and toiletries: These small, single-use packets, such as moisturisers, perfumes, or shampoos, are ideal for quick trials. They are often distributed in magazines, through direct mail, or handed out in stores, allowing consumers to test products before committing to a full purchase.
- Event marketing or in-store sampling: Food and beverage brands frequently offer samples at supermarkets, trade shows, or special events. For example, coffee companies or snack brands hand out free taste-sized portions to engage potential customers, encouraging them to purchase on the spot.
- Online orders from web shops: Web shops often include free samples like paint swatches or small fabric pieces to help customers make informed decisions on colour or texture before purchasing larger packed or pre-made items.
- Samples included with orders: Brands often send small samples as a surprise with customer orders, such as dog food brands including pouches of treats. This approach exposes customers to new products they may not have considered, leading to future purchases.
- Samples for retail staff: Some brands provide free product samples to retail employees. For instance, sports shops may give staff free trainers to wear, so they can offer informed, firsthand recommendations to customers, effectively influencing purchasing decisions.
- Influencer marketing and product evangelism: In the influencer space, brands send early samples to influential figures before a product’s official launch. This helps generate buzz and ensures key figures post reviews and create social media content that can shape public perception and drive consumer interest.
Product samples are usually given away for free, but they can also be sold as part of a mystery subscription box or offered as a ‘trial size’ of a new product. In some cases, you pay for the sample and receive a full refund when upgrading to the full-sized version.
How big is the UK product sampling market?
The UK promotional product distribution market was worth over £1 billion in 2023, an annual increase of 0.4%.[1]
In practice, the total product sampling market is difficult to measure as it spans so many industries, in-store giveaways, online sample requests and cosmetics sample sachets glued into magazines, to name just a few.
Product sampling: what are the opportunities?
The prospects of product sampling are very clear. Research over many years has shown that giving away free samples can have an immediate positive impact on sales of a product and a corresponding negative effect on competing brands.
1. Giving customers what they want
One reason free samples are so effective is that, unlike intrusive advertising, consumers welcome them. They don’t view samples as sales or marketing trickery but are happy to accept the product along with any accompanying printed material.
In 1997, Marketing Week reported the results of a landmark study by NOP[2] which found that “product samples were voted the most useful form of information about new or different products”.
At the top of the list, product samples were ranked higher than any other promotional method, including:
- Television and newspaper advertising
- Direct mail
- Editorial PR
Over a third of adults in the UK (38%) said free samples were “very useful” and a similar proportion said they were “quite useful”.
Marketing is at its best when it uses methods that consumers actually like, another reason why free product samples have endured as a go-to option not only for the past few decades, but for centuries since the first marketplaces were set up.
2. Stealing market share from competitors
As far back as 1990, an article in Marketing Bulletin reported that during supermarket in-store giveaways, “sales of the products concerned rose very substantially”.[3]
But at the same time, sales of direct rival products fell by an average of 10% for the duration of the promotion.
In one trial, sales of a bread product increased by 70% when free samples were provided, while two competing products saw purchases fall by 21% and 22%
Another free sampling promo saw sales of a meat product rise by 330% while a competing item fell by 60%.
3. Boosting sales in the short and long term
The same study looked at lasting effects of free samples and found that across three meat products, sampling had short-term benefits for all three and lasting sales increases for two:
- Product A sales increased 330% during sampling week and 10% the next month
- Product B sales increased 490% in the week and 23% the next month
- Product C sales increased 85% in the week then returned to normal
Although the research itself was carried out in 1989, brands are still seeing significant short and long-term benefits from product sampling 35 years later.
What’s next for product sampling?
All indications are that the UK product sampling market is set to grow in the coming years. Like many sectors, it took a hit during the pandemic, especially in terms of in-store and in-person free sample giveaways. But it continues to bounce back stronger.
With the post-pandemic sector now showing good stability, it’s time to look at the emerging trends being driven by consumer sentiment and the availability of innovative new technologies.
QR code sample requests
One of the challenges of free sampling in the past was ensuring traceability to verify the success of the campaign (i.e. to confirm that an increase in sales was directly due to giving away samples or trial packs).
This is much easier since the introduction of QR codes. Most consumers now have a smartphone capable of scanning an on-pack or on-leaflet QR code and directing them to a web page where they can order a free sample.
Not only does this create an opportunity for targeted distribution of samples, improving the conversion rate of the campaign, but it also allows you to collect personal data from interested consumers, which you can then target with follow-up promotions and reminders.
Individual sample sizes
A lasting impact of the pandemic is the reluctance among some shoppers to touch products they do not intend to buy, in order to reduce the risk of infection from high-touch surfaces. In 2022, Mintel reported that “hygiene concerns” persist in the fragrance sampling market.[4]
Full-size sampler bottles of cosmetics and perfumes can be replaced by individual sachets for shoppers to take home, removing the concern of using an already-open bottle that has been touched by many other customers.
This can clearly work in-store, but Mintel also advised fragrance brands and retailers to focus on tackling the barriers to online sampling. Again, QR codes to request a free sample to be delivered by post are an elegant solution to this challenge.
Recyclable sample sachets
Finally, environmental concerns remain high on the agenda, which makes recyclable sample sachets an emerging trend for the immediate future.
In 2022, nearly two thirds (64.1%) of sample-sized sachets were made of plastic, according to Future Market Insights.[5]
Globally, the sachet packaging market is predicted to grow by 5.9% by 2033, but plastic sachets are forecast for a slightly lower 5.5% growth, suggesting other materials will become more commonplace.
The report notes that in July 2022, UK-based Unilever developed a paper-based sachet for Colman’s sauces, removing the need for aluminium and allowing used sachets to be recycled.
Could product sampling help your business?
Many brands, large and small, are missing out on the full marketing potential of product sampling by not utilising modern technologies to enhance their campaigns.
At MRM, we offer an end-to-end solution that goes beyond just providing the sample. We handle everything from storing the samples to integrating your brand’s website with our systems to capture valuable data. Our services include producing marketing materials with QR codes, managing online sample order pages, capturing requests, and fulfilling deliveries with added value, such as discount coupons. All of this happens seamlessly, ensuring a smooth experience for the consumer while maximising your campaign’s impact.
We run promotions on Lodestone, our dedicated online software platform that ensures effective management of your campaign, useful real-time reporting and the collection of valuable customer data.
To find out more about Lodestone, or to ask us anything about product sampling campaigns, contact MRM today or book a no obligation online meeting to discuss your ideas.