Any marketer working in the FMGC market knows the importance of product sampling to elicit customer feedback, but an American retailer has taken the concept to the next level with its new storefront ‘test and try’ emporium in Portland, Oregon, where consumer and producer come together to test the latest products in a quid pro quo union.
SamplingLab was designed to connect consumer packaged goods brands with millennial consumers through innovative product sampling, customer feedback and social media.
At first glance, the store looks like a chicly curated artisan market, but as soon as you step foot inside, there is one clear difference: there are no price tags on the products. Everything in the shop is free – well almost. In return for a free sample, customers are asked to provide feedback on the product.
How does it work?
Brands pay SamplingLab a fee to have their product tested in the 1,750-square-foot retail space. The store keeps about 20 brands in stock at any one time, and they rotate their offerings every 30–45 days, to ensure that as many products get seen as possible. The lab stocks everything from dog food, to canned goods, to body gels.
From the consumer’s point of view, after signing up online, members are invited to browse the shelves and trial full sized products—some of which retail for upwards of $20. Having made a selection, at the ‘check-out’, a SamplingLab employee scans the product and emails the customer a link to a survey. That’s it. No prices. No receipt.
Unlike product sampling at a supermarket or at food or festival, there’s no brand representative handing out the samples and trying to push a sale, and it is hoped that by not having that pressure, SamplingLab consumers will be more honest with their feedback.
First-time customers are only permitted one product per visit, but can earn their way to a three-sample limit by reliably completing the required reviews.
The company already has a slew of local customers: only ten days after its grand opening, SamplingLab managed to accrue more than 800 members, mostly through referrals, and if the concept takes off, it is set to roll out across the US and into the UK next year.
Hotcow is a non-traditional creative agency that specialises in experiential marketing that goes viral. Our campaigns generate buzz through crowd participation, PR and content sharing. Contact us on 0207 5030442 or email us on info@hotcow.co.uk.
