Marketing Buzz 08/03 Giving out free samples to attract more business
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Worth a Try
For years, cosmetic companies have used sampling as a way to buildtheir businesses. But have you ever thought about stealing thistechnique from their makeup bag?
Don't be afraid to offer a free sample, even in the servicearena. Maureen Murphy, president of DirectEffectz, adirect-marketing consulting firm in San Diego, offers a freemarketing audit. "It gives them a taste of what I can do forthem," she explains. And Monika Meszaros of SweetReflections Inc., a custom-chocolate company in Carlsbad,California, distributes boxes of chocolates at networkingevents.
Insperience Studio, an appliance showroom in Atlanta, letsconsumers wash a load of laundry, chill a bottle of wine or evencook a meal. And Coffee Ambassador, a B2B coffee delivery service inSan Diego, has its salespeople brew a pot of coffee for potentialcustomers as an introduction to the product. "It letsprospects experience our product firsthand," says CEO SeanCurtis.
Even at charity events, it makes sense to let people sample yourproduct or service. And at larger events, a free sample of yourproduct or service can be a raffle prize.
If you haven't already done so, now's a good time tostart protecting your brand. NameProtect has introducedVigilActive, an online brand-monitoring service that scours the Webfor brand abuse 24/7. Are you worried about trademark infringement, domain name abuseor even traffic diversion schemes? This service scans millions ofWeb pages, message postings and other content to help you bettermanage your brand. You choose your objectives, and VigilActivedelivers relevant reports to you online. Reports are deliveredmonthly, quarterly, semiannually or yearly. Prices areapproximately $4,000 to $6,000 per report. -E.G. |
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Marketing consultant and speaker Elizabeth Goodgold is theauthor of Duh! Marketing Awards (www.duhmarketing.com).
