SAMPLING IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE BRAND EXPERIENCE.Are the days of traditional sampling dead? We think so. Here we explore how getting product into consumers’ hands is becoming more exciting.

We’ve all been there…whether it’s making our way through a busy train station or ambling through a high street – we’re struck by a branded presence and handed a sample.

From bread to booze, cereal to soap – sampling is typically an FMCG’s first and only choice in terms of getting their brand into the consumer’s hand. Particularly a new product launch.

However, we know that consumers are wising up. The interruption age is truly dead. To get consumers to understand the benefits of your brand, your activity needs to run deeper. Read on and we will tell you the what, why and how.In the beginning

In the beginningIt all began in the 19th century with US soap manufacturer Benjamin Babbitt using sampling as a way to get the whole nation advocating his soap.

Today, that level of scale and ambition is still inherent within sampling. Brands want to get in as many hands as possible, but that doesn’t necessarily mean advocacy will follow.

An evolving consumerWe live in an age where we are the ultimate curators of our worlds. We ‘like’ and ‘follow’ whoever we please.

And because modern life is hectic, we’re more likely to avoid interactions, however transactional, that we deem ‘unnecessary’.

Even if you manage to get your product into the hands of 100,000 people.

•How do you know they ‘get’ your brand?•How can you guarantee their future engagement

with your brand? Sampling really shouldn’t be just a numbersgame anymore. It plays a role, but it isn’teverything.

Brands need to think about the value that can be derived through every interaction.

Brands need to ENRICH every consumer interaction to deliver that value.

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GÜ provided a branded retreat last December, encouraging consumers to rest their weary feet, be made-over in style and try out GÜ puds in a sparkling, decadent environment.

In the summer of 2011, The Lounge created the ‘social showering’ phenomenon at UK festivals to encourage guys to experience the benefits of Lynx in a new and engaging way beyond traditional sampling mechanics.

www.theloungegroup.com/lynxshower

It’s all in the experienceProviding experiences beyond sampling enables brands to gain traction with their audiences and command real interest.

Here’s a bit about what brand experiences can deliver, that sampling alone cannot.

It’s about engaging, entertaining and informingGrab your audience’s attention. Create something they proactively want to get involved in because it adds value to them immediately and/or in the longer term. This could involve entertainment, developing new skills, a challenge or a game. Be remembered.

It’s about reinforcing brand valuesBasic sampling says what about your brand and its values? By doing something humorous, challenging, educational, mysterious or childish with it, you can fully engage the consumer with your brand’s personality and values.

It’s about delivering competitive stand-out When your competitors are sample-zigging, zag away with an experience! Be bold and category-challenging, you’ve got so much more to gain.

The wonder of Word of MouthWe want to get people talking. Word of mouth is critical to drive advocacy as it’s 10 times more effective than TV or print!(1) And now within the age of social media – it’s never been quicker or easier for your audience to spread the word.

And the great thing about brand experiences is that they’re naturally built to drive WOM. They’re interactive, engaging and allow consumers to get closer to your brand than ever before.

Because of the level of engagement typically generated, people who get involved in a live brand experience are also likely to spread the word – to an average of 17 people each.(2)

It’s these sorts of numbers that matter.

Sampling is a transaction, which delivers product into hand without the additional engagement status and consequent WOM drivers

1. Buzz Marketing 2. Experiential marketing: A practical guide by Shaz

Smilansky

Hendricks Gin ‘Refined Courtship Clinic’ ran in the build up to Valentines day. Providing visitors with a Hendricks G&T whilst immersing consumers in the Victorian world of romance and courtship encouraged product trial whilst educating about the brand’s story and personality.

THE LOUNGE GROUP’S TOP TIPS

Create a destination

Somewhere standout that people want to head to, rather than be interrupted by.

Facilitate exploration and discovery

Help your consumers to understand your brand and have fun with it – they’re more likely to share it.

Understand the needs of the consumer

A brand experience might look cool, but will your consumer enjoy it and will it add value? We make sure our ideas are intelligent (founded on real consumer insight) and we always test out ideas with our consumer network to make sure they’re spot on.

Use brand experiences to drive interaction and content in other channels

Brand experiences aren’t random stunts or one-offs, they’re the ‘living, breathing’ part of the marketing mix, which have huge PR and social media potential. More on this in another issue.

Express yourself

Your experience must be an expression of your brand personality, don’t forget that.

Be more than transactional

The best brand experiences are a rich dialogue between brand and consumer – sampling is always one sided. Don’t fall into the trap of offering ‘creative sampling’. Think experience at all times.

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The Lounge Group is a brand experience agency that uses intelligence and insight, through our network of 10,000 consumers, to develop effective ideas that connect with your audience.