Food Entrepreneur - June 22, 2021 - 3

FOOD ENTREPRENEUR®
COMMENTARY
Taking product sampling
outside the store
Digital approaches may offer more advantages
BY MONICA WATROUS
E
ntrepreneurs have awaited the return of in-store
sampling, long regarded as a valuable tool for driving
brand awareness and reaching new consumers.
But over the past year as the pandemic stemmed such
interactions, alternative solutions emerged that may
provide more effective opportunities for gaining visibility
in a crowded marketplace.
Conversations with startup founders last year revealed
a collective dismay over the cancellation of in-person
demonstrations. A study conducted several years ago by
Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business
determined sampling has both an immediate and sustained
impact on generating sales and may benefit not just a brand
but an entire category. A free taste removes the risk of purchasing
an unfamiliar product, helps establish a personal
connection and elevates the shopping experience. In addition
to marketing new products, early-stage brands may
collect useful feedback on product quality and packaging.
As more grocery shopping shifted online last year,
brands began exploring digital means of discovery. Sampler,
a Toronto-based venture-backed technology company,
distributes free product samples to individuals based on specific
preferences, behaviors and geographies. Marie Chevrier
Schwartz, founder and chief executive officer, saw an
increase in companies experimenting with digital sampling
through the platform during the pandemic, tapping into a
targeted swath of its 50 million users across North America.
" If you only have 5,000 chocolate bars to give, you
want to give those 5,000 chocolate bars to the most valuable
consumers out there, " she said.
Digital sampling enables continued communications
to build loyalty and convert tryers to buyers, Ms. Chevrier
Schwartz said. Looking ahead, she expects some brands will
adopt a blended approach,
noting " both
traditional and digital
product sampling have
their strengths. "
When launching
Monica Watrous is the managing
editor of Food Business News.
Email mwatrous@sosland.com.
June 22, 2021
a new product line
during the initial
lockdown period,
the team at Pipcorn
" pivoted from a marketing
perspective
and figured out ways
to demo, but digitally, "
said co-founder
As more grocery
shopping shifted
online last year,
brands began
exploring digital
means of discovery.
SAMPLER
Teresa Tsou. The brand partnered with Ibotta, a rewards
program that provides cash incentives to shoppers.
" Ibotta has been a really great partner to get trial on
our products, " Ms. Tsou said. " We offered a discount or
even a sample, and we've seen a really high return rate
using that avenue as a demo. "
The founders of Fabalish, a brand of plant-based dips,
found success in collaborating with online influencers to
target specific communities aligned with the products.
" The first four months of the pandemic, we were just
doing social media and targeting influencers who were either
foodies, vegans or somehow aligned to our product but most
importantly would make something with the food, not just
take a picture and put a story up, " co-founder Paul Majcherczyk
said. " I think when they're creating something with
it and showing people how to eat it, that's what gets people
excited and what drove a lot of traffic to our website. "
Prior to the pandemic, Gr8nola founder Erica Liu
Williams relied on corporate foodservice to get her
low-sugar granola in the hands and mouths of employees
at Google, Twitter, Facebook and other firms across Silicon
Valley. When offices shuttered last spring, she turned
to online grocery delivery companies like Misfits Market
and Sun Basket to expand her brand's reach.
" The food salvaging ones like Imperfect Foods and
Misfits, your product is going to be at a discount, which
isn't ideal to have yearlong, but it's definitely a good way
to drive trial, " she said. " I think the consumer is very
mission-based about sustainability, so they are potentially
the right customers. "
Reaching the right consumer is a powerful benefit of
digital product sampling in its various forms. Tracking is
another. Both are difficult to accomplish within the walls
of a grocery store. ▪
Food Business News
33
Food Entrepreneur - June 22, 2021

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