Sampling is one of the oldest forms of promotion, and still one of the most effective when it is planned properly. It is also easy to spend a large budget on it with nothing to show at the end.
Choose the place carefully
The best place to hand out a sample is where your future customer already is when they would make the decision to buy. A busy location is not always the right one.
Decide what you are measuring
Track something simple: a code on the sample, a short survey, or sales in the stores near the sampling point compared with stores further away.
Train the people handing out samples
They are your brand for that afternoon. Two minutes of real knowledge about the product changes the conversation completely.
Follow up
A sample with no next step is a gift. A sample with a reason to come back, such as an offer or an invitation, is a campaign.
