For a lot of brands, running a product sampling event basically involves sending a package of samples to student brand ambassadors and telling them to distribute them by a certain date and get people to like the brand on Facebook.
But you could accomplish the same results by tossing your product in the trash and hitting the “Like” button a thousand times. In either case, your brand isn’t gaining more customers.
Want a better chance of running a truly successful sampling campaign? Here’s our step-by-step guide.
(Also, check out our Sharpie Case Study to see how a sampling event gets done right.)
Product Sampling Step by Step
- Identify the markets that you want to target.
- Begin recruiting student brand ambassadors. Use the Go Commando app to showcase the job opportunity to your target markets. Create a job description, open it up to multiple student ambassadors on each campus, and let them know how much they’ll be compensated.
- Once you have your students, use a spreadsheet or project management tool to keep track of the students at each campus, their activities, and the dates/times of the activities. You may also want to track verification of their work and your payments to the student reps.
- Ask students to identify key events and locations on campus where they would be comfortable distributing the sample product.
- Ship the samples to the students. Pro tip: Ship to local FedEx offices near campus, just in case you need to change the student rep. This gives you a guaranteed address.
- Contact each student and explain the campaign and their specific tasks—including all requirements that must be met for compensation. Give student ambassadors a script that supports your goals for the sampling event. Make it short and sweet, and keep it focused on the purpose of the campaign. Consider adding bonus incentives, such as making videos on campus.
- Monitor the events and pay students as soon as you verify their work. Paying them quickly keeps your best student reps interested in doing future jobs for you.
Common Sampling Campaign Pitfalls
Whatever you do, make sure you avoid these common product sampling pitfalls that seem to snag a lot of brands:
- Not paying enough. Show your brand ambassadors the respect they deserve. They’re putting themselves out there for you and representing your brand.
- Asking too much of students. Remember, your brand reps are just students with no marketing experience. They won’t be able to make executive decisions and they aren’t an expert in your brand. Make it easy for them to communicate with you to get the help they need.
- Asking for unnecessary KPIs. Some brands make recipients do something trivial—liking the brand on Facebook, for example—before they can receive the sample. That’s a meaningless KPI, and you’ve just told recipients that they have to jump through hoops to get a sample they didn’t ask for to begin with. Make sure the KPIs you’re measuring are the right ones.
Take the Next Step
- See how we helped Sharpie draw crowds and social buzz with a sampling campaign.
- Want more great content to boost your campus marketing campaigns? Subscribe to our blog!
- Sign up for a demo and see the Go Commando app in action.
Who is Campus Commandos?
Our college marketing agency functions to serve two purposes; to provide opportunity for college students, and to market products and services on behalf of brands to students on college campuses and universities across the United States. Contact us to learn more.
