Guide · Product sampling

What is product sampling? A practical guide for brands.

Product sampling is giving people a free taste, trial or small pack of a product so they can try it before they buy it. Here is what it is good for, where and when it works, who should run it and how to tell whether it paid off.

7 min read9 steps7 checks

A product sampling strategy is a chain of decisions that all serve one objective. If the objective is unclear, the venue, the hours and the team brief will pull in different directions.The one thing to remember

Start here

From a product in a box to a sampling plan.

Objective, audience, place, timing, ideas, team, campaigns at scale, cost and measurement, in the order you plan them. Follow the line; tap any point to read it.

Sampling team on a branded stand for a hydration drink outside a Spar store

01Step 1 of 9

Equinox Kombucha sampling stand with two staff at the Great Yorkshire Show

What sampling is, and why it works

Product sampling is a marketing method that puts the product itself in front of the people you want to buy it: a taste on a cocktail stick, a trial-size pack, a drink poured at a stand or a product someone can pick up and use.

A taste
A trial-size pack
A drink poured
A product to use

02Step 2 of 9

Sampling staff handing an Emmi Caffè Latte to a commuter at Manchester Piccadilly station

Set the objective before anything else

Product sampling objectives fall into a handful of types, and each one leads to a different plan.

Trial
Sales at the shelf
Awareness
Contacts
Feedback

Key pointA product sampling strategy is a chain of decisions that all serve one objective. If the objective is unclear, the venue, the hours and the team brief will pull in different directions.

03Step 3 of 9

The Glorious Mess sampling table with a staff member inside a Booths food store

Choose the audience, then the place

Describe the person you want buying the product in a month's time, then go where that person already is.

Supermarkets
Stations
Workplaces
High streets
Shopping centres
Shows and festivals

04Step 4 of 9

House of Dorchester chocolate sampling in a Booths store before Christmas

Get the timing right

The same place draws a different crowd at different times.

Weekends
Late afternoons
Rush hours
Lunch
May to September

05Step 5 of 9

Sampling staff member holding a tray of Emmi Caffè Latte at the Birmingham Half Marathon

Sampling ideas that give people a reason to stop

A table and a tray will always get some takers, but the best product sampling ideas give the passer-by a reason to stop and a reason to remember.

06Step 6 of 9

Years sampling staff with a branded counter in a Pets at Home store

The team on the day

To everyone who stops, the person holding the tray is the brand.

07Step 7 of 9

What it looks like at scale

The same planning works for one store or a national campaign. Three campaigns we've run show the range.

100,000Samples in two days

54,000Samples, 80 stores

08Step 8 of 9

Charbonnel et Walker sampling counter with a staff member at Harvey Nichols

What drives the cost of sampling

There is no standard price for a sampling campaign, because the cost of product sampling depends on choices you make in the plan.

Days and sites
Hours and headcount
Location
Site fees
Stock and kit
Compliance

09Step 9 of 9

Staff member pouring Corona Cero samples at the Corona bar

Measure it, then compare your options

Agree the report before day one.

Samples handed out
Feedback
Codes redeemed
Sign-ups
Store sales

Checklist

Your sampling checklist.

Ready to brief.

Emmi Caffè Latte sampling team with branded sampling bins in Liverpool

Campaign options

Ways to sample, compared.

Most campaigns mix two or three options so each does a different task.

Option	Suits	Needs	Watch for
In store	Listed products, sales on the day	Store agreement, extra stock	Limited space, store rules
Store car park	Larger set-ups, cooking, vehicles	Store agreement, power	Weather, longer set-up
Stations	Volume and quick trial	A pitch at the right exits	Short attention at rush hour
Offices	Defined audience, sign-ups	A contact on site	Fewer people at each stop
Streets and centres	Shoppers with time to stop	Pitch booking where needed	Quiet mid-morning hours
Shows and festivals	Crowds with time to spend	Pitch, stand, stock storage	Long days, weather

Common questions

Questions brands ask about sampling.

Is product sampling worth it for a new brand?

Often, yes, because a new brand's biggest hurdle is getting people to try it at all. It pays off when the product is strong, the samples reach likely buyers and the product is easy to find afterwards.

How many samples should we plan for?

Plan around the people you expect at your peak hours, with extra for peak days. Tell us your sites and dates and we'll help you set the numbers when we quote.

Do we need permission to sample?

Almost always. Stores, shopping centres, stations and event organisers each have their own approval process and some charge for the pitch. Public streets may need council permission, depending on the area and what you hand out.

What is the difference between sampling and a product demonstration?

Sampling lets people try the product for themselves; a demonstration shows it working, often for products that are bought less often or need explaining. Many campaigns combine the two.

Can sampling staff collect sign-ups at the same time?

Yes, if the brief allows for it. The team needs a simple form or app, a clear reason for people to sign up and consent wording that meets data protection rules.

How long should a sampling shift be?

Long enough to cover the peak hours with proper breaks. Events run longer, so plan for relief cover.

Sampling staff member beside The Glorious Mess table in a Booths food hall

Teams trained for every setting.

EXECUTIONAL supplies and manages sampling teams for stores, stations, offices, shows and streets across the UK, from 40 staffing hubs. Each team is briefed on the product before the first shift, and you get one itemised quote. See our product sampling staff for the roles we cover.

Ask for a quote →