How to reach new audiences with product sampling
Marketing to different cultures has become a key component of business growth. This is due to the obvious fact that if you target more than one customer demographic, you will achieve a higher level of sales.
However, the mistake that many brands make is taking a “one size fits all” approach. As marketing and business has developed over the years, marketers have learned that marketing strategies that help a brand gain prominence in one cultural environment aren’t always effective in getting that brand to take off in another.
To take your brand to new audiences, whether that be globally or targeting different cultures within one geographical location, requires a multicultural marketing strategy that diversifies each marketing campaign based on who will be viewing it, including all the cultural values that influence how brands work in that community or region.
In this blog, we are going to discuss how an ethnic brand can expand its audience from previously targeting a niche ethnic minority to targeting a more mainstream audience. In specific, this blog will address how to conduct a marketing strategy that will use product sampling to execute this objective.
Conduct market research for your product sample
Everyone knows the first step of a marketing plan is to conduct market research. However, when a brand is looking to broaden their target market and target a completely new customer base using a product sampling strategy as a tactic, then this is a very important step. It is important for a brand to understand cultural differences and social factors that influence consumer behaviour in the target market, as well as the consumer’s needs, wants, and preferences. The reason for such thorough research is so that you can use it as a base to understand how to localise your product, packaging, and marketing communications to the tastes of your new intended audience. This strategy is also very important when conducting a product sample, as the execution of product sample marketing communications and organising where the sample will take place, what packaging the product will be in, etc. happen in the early stages of the campaign’s development.
Understanding your competition is important too; are there any other ethnic brands trying to enter the mainstream market? If, for example, your competitors are keeping their marketing very focused on a single segment of the mainstream market, they are leaving a strategic opening for you to gain market share and build loyalty through efforts to make your products and services more appealing to diverse audiences.
Changing product offerings, as well as the packaging for your product sample
One of the most difficult aspects of a marketing campaign aimed at a new audience is adapting the marketing mix to the new market. This is made easier, however, with prior market research. Adapting the marketing mix to the new audience involves modifying product offerings, pricing, promotion, and distribution to fit the unique needs and preferences of the target market. It’s important to strike a balance between brand consistency and local relevance. This is an important part of your marketing strategy to get right before you sample your product due to the cost of producing product for samples. Make sure you know your audience is going to love it, and the product sample will be the touchpoint that pushes them to make a purchase decision!
Assume, for the sake of explanation, that you are a brand that sells hot spice mix because your target market prefers spicy food. However, from your research, you now know that your new target market prefers condiments without any spice heat and that they are influenced by “healthy organic” labelling. When trying to reach a new market, it is essential to localise your product to meet their needs. So, when launching your product to the new market, rather than promoting the fact that the sauce is very hot, you may instead highlight through the packaging the fact that it is created entirely of natural organic herbs with a slight kick to meet the demands of the new market. In this way, you are not changing the offering of the product; you are just localising the messaging and packaging, which sustains local brand consistency.
Adapt your sampling material’s promotional communications.
Firstly, when creating a marketing strategy to target a new audience, it is important to understand what sort of messaging influences your new audience. This information can then be used to create persuasive copy for marketing communications. When conducting a product sample as part of a way to enter a new market, leaflet collateral is often included. Communication is crucial in marketing, as how your brand is perceived will determine the difference between conversions. You only get one shot at making a first impression during a product sampling campaign, so it must be well received on the first try and have the desired impact. To effectively reach audiences and show them that your brand values them as consumers, offering your product sampling materials in their native language will increase engagement and conversion rates.
Continuously evaluate and refine the product sampling campaign
Finally, executing a marketing strategy that targets a new audience is an ongoing process. It’s essential to continuously evaluate and refine the strategy to ensure it remains effective in the target market. This involves regularly reviewing market trends, consumer feedback, and performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments. Your product sample campaign that you are running will be an essential tool for customer feedback. With the feedback that you obtain, you can use it to alter your marketing plan accordingly, host another product sample, and see if the product has taken better to the new market.
Product sampling is a difficult campaign to execute, especially if you are a brand trying to broaden your target market by targeting a new customer base. Our best recommendation is to employ a product sampling agency to assist with strategy, planning, hiring and managing brand ambassadors, and dealing with distribution techniques. GottaBe! Ethnic has been in the industry for 15 years and has grown very adept at product sample campaigns. If you’re looking for a new way to boost your brand but don’t know where to start, we’d love to help.