In my whole life span I cannot remember ever consistently buying a product after trying a free sample. Most products I sample are either disappointing, mediocre, or not good enough to break my normal buying patterns. I have finally caved in and become a repeat buyer of a product I sampled. Why now?
About two weeks ago I attended Warped Tour. It was a very typical hot and humid summer day. After about four hours of standing in the sun, I decided to weigh my beverage options. I could either pay $4 or more for water or pop. As I was debating what to get, I noticed a tent handing out free energy drinks.
Being fatigued, thirsty, and not wanting to pay $4 for a water, I ventured over to the tent. The energy drink I sampled was a hybrid: half energy drink, half fruit juice. Needless to say it was very satisfying on such a mucky day.
Fast forward two weeks later and now every time I am about to buy an energy drink, I search out for the "Lost" energy drink. Why do I have such a strong urge for it? I sampled it while I was tired and thirsty. Thus, this is what sticks in my mind. It wasn't that it only tasted good. It was that I associated it with curing my thirst and giving me energy.
Now for a real life example from an economics course I took:
When Coca-Cola began taste testing "New Coke" it was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Nearly everyone preferred New Coke to the Classic Coke. As I'm sure you probably know, New Coke was an absolute bomb. I don't think any drink has received such a backlash from the general public. So why did people prefer it in taste tests but not in daily life?
The short answer is: people sampled New Coke when they weren't thirsty. They enjoyed it, but when they were actually thirsty, it wasn't satisfying. They associated New Coke being just another sample and Classic Coke for being satisfying when they are thirsty.
Something to consider when handing out product samples:
Hand out samples when the customer would normally crave them. You want the consumer to associate your product with something. And you don't want that "something" to be just another free sample. If it is food, give out your sample when the consumer would be hungry. If it is a drink, hand out your sample when people are thirsty. The mind is a powerful tool. Secure a spot in the mind and the consumer is yours.
