In Store Supermarket Sampling

In Store sampling allows you to target customers on the aisle where your products are placed at the time the purchase decision is actually being made. This close proximity to the purchase location will help drive sales as the field staff will be on site presenting your product in the best possible light, making (polite) persuasive suggestions, influencing the purchasing decisions of the customers.

Link Communication provide high calibre brand ambassadors to undertake in store supermarket sampling. They will learn everything about your brand and communicate the core proposition to every customer sampled, and ensure that your products are presented to customers in the exact way you want them to be offered.

Our in-store sampling teams can be positioned on the aisle where your product is located, and also in the foyer, using an additional person, to ensure that everyone who comes into store is invited to try a free sample on the designated aisle. This adds significant audience reach on to the activity as only a proportion of shoppers visit all aisles within the store.

Due to UK health and safety rules (which we all love), all supermarkets provide a "free" member of their staff to assist with in store sampling. This is typically someone similar to "Mary from the cheese counter". (This is who you end up with to represent your brand if you go direct to the supermarkets and ask for sampling directly). WARNING - if left unmanaged this can be incredibly detrimental for your brand, as typically, "Mary from the cheese counter", is not a professional brand ambassador, well versed in promotions or field marketing and will not be able (or willing) to recite your brand values, product information, heritage, etc - with each sample. They are useful as an extra pair of hands to assist with stock movement and food preparation, but we recommend that all customer facing aspects of the activity are left to the professional brand ambassadors which Link Communication specialise in providing.

Costs for in-store sampling vary between supermarket chains (approx £150 per day), and visual branding opportunities are generally very restricted; to the uniforms (or costumes) the field teams which Link Communication can provide and also the partial branding of a standard sampling table which the supermarket will provide.

You will need to get in touch with your buyer within the supermarket, to arrange for a stock uplift for the sampling and a heavy stock uplift for the increase in sales which the sampling activity will generate. Some sampling campaigns which Link Communication have organised have resulted in sales uplifts upwards of 350%, totally selling out of product, despite placing a 40% stock uplift in advance!

 

Case Studies:

Drinks: Iceni

Food: Aunt Bessie's / Ice Cream Cake / Milk Link Cheese