Sampling

Dove this summer distributed more than 2.3 million chocolate samples on busy street corners and at music festivals in nine U.S. cities. The next phase of the sampling program moves to major retailers such as Wal-Mart Kroger and other national chains that sell the chocolates.

For the first time Weight Watchers is moving its calorie-controlled snacks off of grocery store sampling tables and into the hands of hungry consumers at fairs festivals and family events. The brand’s multi-market sampling campaign launched in late August and will hit 25 events in Boston Chicago and New York through Sept. 30.  

Frito-Lay North America has rolled out its first mobile marketing effort a 20-market tour behind Lay’s potato chips. With stops primarily at supermarkets the initiative is aimed at getting the newly reformulated snacks—they’re now cooked in sunflower oil—in the mouths of consumers.
 

The energy drink market is on a high. Turbo charged by top-selling brands like Monster Red Bull and Rockstar the highly-caffeinated offshoots of the soft drink category have not only grown in popularity over the past decade to the tune of $6.5 billion in annual sales they continue to fly off the shelves while other soda and juice drink sales remain flat.

Sampling grows up as marketers hand out much-needed education with their product