Sample Size

IT’S EVERY PROMOTION professional’s mantra: “When times get tough, [insert your business here] is always the first thing that gets cut.”

These days, the universal lament rings true. Even product sampling has been cut dramatically this year after a fairly resilient 2001, when spending inched up three percent to $1.2 billion (Annual Report, May PROMO).

“We used to get five to 12 calls per day — now we’re lucky to get one or two per week,” says Jack Lee, vp at Right Choice Sampling, New Canaan, CT. “Who’s got the money for a new launch these days, unless it’s someone like a Kraft?”

James Wark concurs: “There are some definite downturns due to the corporate economy,” says the president at Event Management & Promotions, Los Angeles. “[WorldCom subsidiary] MCI was a client of ours for years, and obviously they’re not doing anything now.”

Factor in that sampling is one of the most expensive tactics, and one of the hardest to measure as marketers scrutinize their ROI. The average cost-per-sample ranges from 10 cents to 50 cents — that adds up quickly for two to three million samples, a standard drop for a new product.

Some shops are optimistic for 2003.

“Things were slow at the beginning of this year because a lot of marketers didn’t get their money. Next year could be huge,” says Steve Randazzo, president at St. Louis-based sampling shop Pro Motion.

“We’ve got more in the pipeline [for 2003] than we’ve ever had before,” says Wark. “We’re seeing a lot of new products from the beverage and electronics categories.”

Brands that have kept up sampling are spending more to better target consumers.

“We’re seeing brands sending out fewer samples than before but as they get more targeted, they’re spending more on each sample delivered,” says Jesse Reif, vp-sales at Chicago-based Euro RSCG Impact. That doesn’t boost Impact’s bottom line, though: “It’s a wash compared to last year.”

Even retail sampling has gotten more targeted.

“Long gone are the days of simply placing a demonstrator in the aisle giving out free stuff,” says Sharon Perks, account director at Pierce Promotions & Event Management, Portland, ME. “It’s much more about putting the right kind of brand ambassador, who’s right for the brand’s target audience, at the right location in the store with a compelling message.”

Unilever, Greenwich, CT, is doing more branding with sampling flights for its Suave Smart Shopper program in Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.

“We’ve spent a lot of time standing in stores handing out samples, and now we want to give consumers a better feel for the brand,” says Unilever marketing director Jim Geikie. Wal-Mart shoppers play games guessing the price of Suave products — reinforcing Suave’s positioning as quality personal care for less — to walk away with free loot. Says Geikie: “Now the sample is the closer rather than the focus of the promotion.” Pierce Promotions handles.

Others are trying new venues — health clubs, doctor offices, cruise ships, even bed & breakfasts. This summer Harlequin Books sampled its new Intrigue series at 100 bed & breakfasts, mystery theaters, “mystery trains,” and mystery production companies that offer packages for, yes, mystery enthusiasts. B&Bs put books on pillows during turn-down service; theaters put them on guests’ seats or dinner plates; and production companies used them as door prizes and party favors. Westover Media, Portland, OR, handled.

“In the past, we’ve always tried to reach our target market as accurately as possible,” says Ana Movileanue, assistant product manager at Harlequin. “Sampling our books at murder-mystery inns fits in well with the positioning of the series, and I was happy to see that the books made it into the right hands.”

Personal-care brands can get samples to guests at hotels, resorts, condos, and cruise lines via Vacation Connection, a program run by Market Connections International, Montclair, NJ. Since 24 percent of vacationers forget to pack some toiletry, Vacation Connection gift packs reach them at their “point of need,” says president Brian Martin. “When they’re away from home, people will go out of their traditional brand set. They’re more open to trying new things.”

GlaxoSmithKline, Pittsburgh, tapped Vacation Connection this year to introduce Tums Cool Relief tablets, putting two-tablet pouches in gift packs on Carnival Cruise ships. GlaxoSmithKline has distributed 2.2 million Tums Cool Relief samples to date.

“Vacationers tend to indulge more than they usually would, so they’re glad to have [Tums] handy,” says Tum’s manager of creative development Traci Plate. “My main criteria for deciding on a program isn’t how big or fancy it is but whether I can ensure we will reach people who will try the product. People are receptive to getting a gift pack in their cabin — more than when they’re off enjoying themselves and someone sticks a sample in their face.”

Chattem Corp., Chattanooga, TN, put samples of Phisoderm Acne Clean Swab in gift packs distributed at cheerleader camps and contests via Niche Sampling Inc., Milwaukee.

“We love being able to reach kids away from home,” says marketing director Gail Jenkins. “Cheerleaders are also trendsetters, so if they like our product, they can influence others.”

Niche Sampling also gives out gift packs at Broadway theaters (via Clear Channel Communications, New York City) and in J.C. Penney stores.

Co-op sampling also makes a comeback as brands refocus on cost and efficiency. “We’re getting hammered by management about whether programs pay out,” says Jenkins. “I like the cost and the control you have over [a co-op mailing] program.”

Pooling resources helps brands stretch their own budgets, but experts advise marketers to be careful about who else jumps in the envelope. Don’t mix a deodorant with an over-the-counter drug, advises Randazzo. And be sure that your partners’ target is the same as yours.

Traveling Salesmen

Marketers set on integrated marketing find sampling a useful overlay to a wide range of promo tools, especially sponsorship and event marketing — one of the few industry segments that’s actually booming.

“Sampling is not just about handing a product to someone; it’s the choreography of all the tools to deliver a message,” says Susan Schroeder, vp-marketing and business development at CMI, East Rutherford, NJ.

Clothing retailer Limited Too, Indianapolis, last month wrapped up its second Passion for Fashion Tour, which hit Simon Property Group malls in 15 cities to introduce its back-to-school lineup. The tour’s two-hour program included a fashion show, dance contest, and music concert. Girls got to try Limited Too’s new clothes; tour sponsors Sony and Sweet Tarts gave away product samples and provided prizes such as a personal CD players. Sony also got to “sample” its new music talent by featuring upcoming artists Rose Falcon and Play as the live entertainment. The tour attracted an average of 600 girls per show. “It’s hard to get that looks-like, smells-like experience, with anything else but hands-on sampling,” says Limited Too senior vp of stores Jim Petty.

Tony’s Pizza benefits from a glitzy sampling tour, too. Schwan’s Consumer Brands repositioned Tony’s for eight- to 14-year-old “big kids” with a mobile tour that speaks to kids on their level.

“This was all about one-to-one marketing,” says Mark Rehborg, brand manager at Minneapolis-based Schwan’s. “In order to break through, we had to hang out with them.”

This summer, Tony’s 53-foot truck stopped at BMX events, skate parks, and monster truck rallies handing out slices of Tony’s Pizza. To get it, kids walked through a sensory chamber with flashing lights and sounds, watched themselves on closed-circuit TV, played Sega video games, had their photos taken against different backgrounds, and visited a music mixing station to create their own tunes. On the way out, kids got a slice of pizza and CD; parents got a coupon. Schwan’s went through 10,000 samples in some venues. Event Management & Promotion handles the tour, which wraps up this month.

Sampling was only about 20 percent of the program, but the brand experience hit home. “You know you’ve made it when you spot a kid walking along with his mom and he suddenly sees this giant truck just for him and comes running,” says Rehborg.

Hey. Size matters.