In my Marketing Communication class, we talked about sales promotion tools of which businesses use as marketing strategies in order to stimulate consumers in their decisions. Examples of tools that businesses use frequently include contests, coupons, and sampling. Personally, I have never heard of Grey Goose until I tried the free sample that the cashier gave away last year.
Today, more and more businesses use free samples as promotional marketing strategies. Even though free samples may be expensive, they are one of the cheapest marketing tools available. In my opinion, sampling is the most effective marketing strategy to get consumers involved and give consumers a chance to try the company’s products. Free samples also help buyers in building trust and increasing consumer awareness.
Many different types of businesses also use samplings. By distributing free samples, companies will not only improve their brands, but also give them new opportunities for people to talk about. In my opinion, sampling is a great marketing strategy for building a strong brand especially if the company is new. If new companies do not give free samples to their customers, new companies will instead need to compete with low prices and compelling offers. Moreover, if companies use sampling methods, they may build significant trust for their customers. Consequently, this will lower their marketing costs, increase their prices, and expand the margins.
-Fraser Song
I agree that sampling is a great way to promote brand awareness and even switching. After all, many people may be reluctant to purchase the more expensive vodka if they have never tried it. However, do you think it could have a negative impact? For example, if you tried to the Grey Goose sample you may have decided that it does not taste much different from the cheaper vodka you normally buy. Now that you have sampled the product without buying the whole bottle, the company not only uses you as a customer but also lost money in giving you a sample. I wonder if a coupon or a sale for liquor would be just as effective, because vodka is vodka so the consumer knows what they are buying, and this allows them to buy the nicer alcohol at the same price.
ReplyDeleteI also agree than sampling is an excellent way to get consumers aware of their brand. However, I do not think sampling will necessarily build trust within a person. It may build loyalty, but trust comes more from a consumer's view of the brand and their products. I believe sampling may indirectly lead consumers into trusting the brand.
ReplyDelete-Hang Lin
The freebies ALWAYS get me. I can relate to your consumer switch in the ABC store. Just the other day I was in there buying some drinks for a little get together as well. I had planned on going in there to buy Captain Morgan Rum (because rum and coke is the way to go, ask the captain). Anyway so I was searching in the dark liquors section and the first thing that caught my eye was a nice little shot glass that accompanied a new rum called The Kraken (if you haven’t tried it yet, please do so, it’s great). Granted it wasn’t a “sample” in its truest form, but the same idea is behind it. It’s a good $5-10 more than Captain, but I was able to reason through spending the extra money by thinking about how cool it was going to be to have that shot glass. For the record, that shot glass broke – it was maybe worth a dollar total. So what was I really buying? Obviously the shot glass had much more personal value than actual value. At least, it definitely wasn’t worth 10 bucks. I do think Raquel brings up an interesting idea though. There have been instances where I think marketers could have fared better by avoiding the sampling route. For instance, I distinctly remember seeing a little mini-bottle attached to a bottle of Belvedere vodka. At first, I kinda wanted to get it. Then I thought, hey, maybe if Belvedere didn’t do stupid promotions like this, I wouldn’t have to pay 50 bucks for a bottle of vodka in the first place! So sampling can be a very effective tool to boost sales, but I do think they can sometimes backfire.
ReplyDelete-Patrick Szawara
I just want to comment that in addition to winning over customers from competitors, I think sampling can be an effective way to create new “needs.” Burt’s Bees is a great example of a company who has mastered sampling marketing. I am always interested in trying new personal care products, including ones that I never thought I would need but end up getting hooked on. For example, I got a sample of Burt’s Bees lemon cuticle cream a few years ago, and I have been buying it ever since. I had never used cuticle cream before the sample, but afterwards I couldn't live without it. Sampling offers consumers a risk-free way to try new products that they might not have not tried otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI think sampling is definitely a way to pull new customers in- especially ones who aren't switchers (easily influenced to switch brands --low loyalty--often as a result of price or perceived value). I haven't had the experience with alcohol sampling, but as a parallel, I think of my experience with shampoo. I have a fairly high loyalty when it comes to shampoo- I like the brand I like, and I'm willing to pay the higher price for that brand. I'm pleased with the product, and am not intending to switch. However, I have received various shampoo samples, and I will try a sample if it's given to me for free. While I might not make a permanent switch, having a positive experience with a product through sampling will at least make me add the product to my initial consideration set for next time I go to the store.
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