It’s safe to say that upcoming Holidays may look different than years past, but what remains the same is consumers will continue to use this time to explore new products for gift giving ideas. With 60% of US holiday shoppers saying that they explore new products more during the holiday season than the rest of the year (Facebook for Business), now is the time for brands to put their best foot forward and connect with consumers where they’re discovering new brands: online.
The shift in product discovery from offline to online was already well underway, but with the circumstances brought on by the pandemic, this trend has accelerated. Now 87% of consumers begin product research on digital channels (RetailDive, 2020), which will no doubt continue through the upcoming season as well as during future key holiday periods such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day as consumers search for holiday gift ideas.
Activating a digital sampling campaign can help brands and retailers alike reach new consumers and prime them for holiday purchases. Through Abeo’s campaigns, brands can optimize their marketing strategy, generate fresh reviews, and drive holiday shoppers in-store or online to make purchases.
Here are three ways that brands can benefit from a Holiday Digital Sampling Campaign:
1) Review Generation
Product sampling is one of the most effective ways to generate reviews, particularly for new products among first-time purchasers. As product discovery becomes more digitized, reviews are playing a big part in consumer purchase decisions.
Keeping reviews fresh while consumers are conducting product research during key holiday periods can drive traffic and help consumers confidently determine gifts for their holiday purchases – whether they’re purchasing for themselves or their loved ones.
Abeo sampling campaigns are set up to facilitate authentic two-way communication between the brand and their consumer and ultimately incite a call to action in the form of review generation. Our partnership with Bazaar Voice allows reviews collected through an Abeo sampling campaign to feed directly into your brands Bazaar Voice account.
2) Increase foot traffic
Is your goal to drive in-store traffic or tie in with in-store events? According to a recent study Peak to Recovery, conducted by Criteo, 65% of consumers are already or will be comfortable shopping in malls by mid-October.
By integrating a digital sampling campaign into your strategy, brands have the opportunity to target consumers via social media and drive to retail. Engaging and connecting with consumers online can help brands build excitement around returning to store.
Here’s two ways that Abeo’s platform can drive in-store traffic:
1. Drive in-store for sample redemption: After engaging consumers on the platform of choice, we can offer the consumer the option to redeem their sample in-store at a participating retailer.
2. Drive in-store for full size purchase: In addition to delivering an at-home product discovery experience, we can include a coupon card with their sample exclusively for full size purchase in-store.
3) Drive traffic to eComm
Is your goal to drive purchase on your DTC or retail partners site?
88% of consumers are planning to purchase their holiday gifts online this year (Criteo, Peak to Recovery). Through a digital sampling campaign, Brands can meet consumers where they are gearing up for key holidays and deliver them a contactless at-home product discovery experience. Once the consumer has had a chance to try the product, we can provide them with a clickable and online exclusive coupon, redeemable on either the brands or retailer site, depending on the brands goals.
Abeo Tip:
Do you have leftover product samples or samples that were meant for retail but due to COVID have gone unused?
Brands can activate their on-hand samples by implementing a campaign to prime consumers and influence holiday purchase decisions. Not only will a sampling campaign keep your product top of mind for consumers which is key to driving sales, digital sampling gives brands the opportunity to maintain a dialogue with consumers post trial and well into the new year as well as gain valuable insights to inform your 2021 strategy and budget.
Abeo works with brands to integrate a sampling campaign into existing media outlets. We can activate leftover samples through a campaign that complements your current strategy via social, music or through an existing publisher strategy.
Omnichannel experiences are key this Holiday Season
Whatever your brand’s goals are this Holiday season and beyond, one thing is for sure- omnichannel experiences are crucial.
Brands will need to embrace the omnichannel opportunity and be ready to meet consumers on their terms, wherever that may be, ensuring they provide a frictionless and cohesive consumer experience both online and in-store. Incorporating a digital sampling campaign is key to this experience.
At Abeo, we work with brands to create a customized discovery experience for their target consumers. Our campaigns offer consumers the opportunity to discover your sample at-home or pick up in-store, helping brands tailor their journey during key holiday periods to meet the consumer wherever they are.
Contact us to find out how we can partner together to optimize your strategy!