Free food sampling as a marketing strategy: How effective is it?

Chicken momo has recently become a popular food item in Lakshmipur Sadar. It was introduced by a restaurant through free samples last year - individuals visiting during specific hours could try one momo for free.

Demand for the steamed delicacy grew as people began to enjoy its taste. In recent months, chicken momo has become a hit in the area. 

Sampling is a promotional tactic where restaurants or food companies offer small portions of selected dishes for customers to try. While it is quite common in other countries, it's not as prevalent in Bangladesh. Nonetheless, some companies experiment with it once in a while. 

This strategy is commonly employed by fast food chains, pizzerias, and ice cream parlours to introduce new products or seasonal specials. The objective is to give customers a glimpse of their offerings and encourage them to return for a full meal (or buy a full-sized container of the food product). 

In Bangladesh, food sampling is seen mostly on the streets, or caravans/trucks, or in super shops during weekends.  

However, for the last two months, Nestlé Bangladesh has been running a rather different food sampling campaign. 

The company is targeting corporate offices to promote their cornflakes. A stall on the office premises offers a small portion of corn flakes with warm milk in convenient paper cups. 

Large packets of  Nestlé's plain cornflakes and their chocolate-flavored Koko Krunch are on display alongside. 

Md Yasin Arafat, sales supervisor at Nestlé, discussed the success of their food sampling marketing strategy with TBS, noting positive feedback wherever they implement it. 

"Our programme consists of two main components. Firstly, an advanced team liaises with various corporate offices to secure permission for setting up small stalls within their premises," he said. 

"Subsequently, we conduct wet sampling sessions, offering our products for tasting and providing the option for immediate purchase at a discounted rate."

He said that they have consistently achieved promising outcomes from each corporate office they have engaged with. 

In January, they conducted sampling sessions at 15 corporate offices featuring Nescafé coffee. This month, they have initiated a campaign featuring Nestlé Bangladesh's Gold Cornflakes, with a target of reaching minimum 70 offices.

"Currently, we have received permissions from 12 offices, with others pending approval. Our regular schedule is between 10 am and 5 pm; however, we accommodate the availability provided by the offices," Yasin said.

There are two types of food sampling: dry and wet (liquid). A positive tasting experience leads to future market demand. The primary objective of sampling is to attract consumers and introduce them to the products while facilitating immediate sales. 

Sampling boosts new product launches 

Food sampling is often used for a newly launched product. Rokib Uz Zaman, senior brand manager, Olympic Industries Limited said that although they were selling a rich variety of biscuits, their noodles are not that well known. 

So, the company is offering free noodle samples to visitors at the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2024.

Rokib said, "We run such campaigns year round, especially when we introduce a new item. At DITF, we are providing instantly cooked noodles. The main idea behind wet sampling is that there are many noodles in the market and since ours is a new one, it needs a quick introduction to the consumers." 

Olympic is a household name in Bangladesh and people generally love their products. But according to him, "For noodles, we are comparatively new. If anyone doesn't try it, they will not have the confidence to buy it."

Improved direct communication with consumers

Rokib Uz Zaman said that when customers' experience and feedback is directly taken into account, they trust the company more.  

Moreover, through giving free samples, the companies can also see the real feedback of consumers that help them in R&D (Research and Development).  

"We have been giving free samples for a few years but it stopped for some time during the pandemic. For the last seven months, we have again become active," he said.  

When direct sampling is conducted with food prepared and offered on the spot, the company appears more confident and customers are more inclined to try the product. 

Rokib said that they execute such campaigns in various settings, including schools, colleges, street caravans, and public gatherings such as special occasions in different schools, where children and guardians assemble. 

They offer both wet and dry sampling with products like cookies baked right in front of the consumers at DITF. These campaigns establish a direct connection with the customers, thus building trust and rapport.

Adnan Hossain, the person-in-charge at the Bisk Club Biscuits stall at the DTF also emphasised on the positive response garnered through year-round free sampling initiatives.

Celebrating milestones through free samples

Sometimes, it can be a way for companies to celebrate their milestones. It makes the consumers believe that they are a part of the journey and the company in turn expects loyalty.  

For example, to celebrate Milk Vita's 50- year milestone, it kept free milk samples at DITF. 

Mohammad Ashraf Hossain Majumdar, a marketing staff at Milk Vita, said that they kept the milk samples to celebrate their 50 years and also generate some sales. 

"One [reason] is that we are celebrating our 50 years, and the other is to show customers the quality of our pasteurised liquid milk," he said, adding, "after testing the samples, many people take four or five packets home." 

It is a bit difficult to offer milk samples so they cannot do it very often, according to Ashraf. 

How effective is it in Bangladesh?

"Before free sampling, understanding the target customers is very important," said Rafiuddin Ahmed, a professor at the Department of Marketing, Dhaka University.

According to him, it's a good marketing tool to get closer to the target group. "In our country, companies like Akij group, Ispahani, Unilever etc run such free sampling campaigns quite successfully." 

He also drew an example from abroad to explain the strategy. "When I was in Australia, I saw energy drink companies like Red Bull visit the campus during exam weeks with free drinks. Students loved the 'care' shown by the company and paid it back by being loyal customers." 

But the challenge in Bangladesh, as Professor Rafiuddin sees it, is that you cannot earn loyalty by providing free food samples once in a while. 

Even worse, people might think that there is a problem with the product or the company, otherwise why would it provide free food? 

"Our consumer behaviour is not the same as Western countries. That is why, though we get some positive results, it is not much," he said.