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| DMI’s Mini Lips delivers enough sample product for a trial in a small, portable package with lots of styling options. |
Everybody likes to get something for nothing.
It feels like a special gift and predisposes the receiver to a positive reaction. When the free item is a sample of fine fragrance, color cosmetics or personal care, the results can be a significant surge in sales as consumers try it, then buy it.
According to a survey conducted in February 2002, consumers do indeed like to receive and are often positively influenced by samples, across a number of product categories. The findings were based on nearly 3,400 surveys completed by male and female heads of households aged 18 years and older. The research was conducted through a partnership between The Promotion Marketing Association’s Product Sampling & Demonstration Council, BrandMarketing Magazine and NFO WorldGroup, “About 94% of consumers surveyed said that they agree or strongly agree that sampling is a risk-free way to try new products,“ said Larry Burns, PMA Product Sampling and Demonstration Council co-chair.
A significant majority, 89%, of the consumers surveyed stated that they “feel better” about purchasing a product after using or trying a sample of it, and 85% of those surveyed indicated that a coupon received with a free sample makes it easier to buy the product.
The survey shows how promotional tactics can be used very successfully in tandem. For instance, coupons and samples have great synergy—74% percent of respondents who received a coupon for a free product or service, used it to obtain that product or service gratis.
The survey also found that consumers are influenced by the entire packaging and presentation of a product or service sample, especially the information that accompanies it. Nearly three quarters of respondents, who received a sample, reported that they usually or always look at the information that comes with a sample.
In a survey of consumers who received a health and beauty care sample, 36.2% used it right away, 54.3% saved it for later use and only 2.3% threw it away. In terms of cosmetics, 34.3% used it right away, 41.3% saved it to use later and only 6.7% threw it away.
In relation to other categories, health and beauty samples had the second highest overall intention of consumption (behind food samples), while cosmetic samples registered the highest proportion of respondents who pass along samples to someone else they think might have a use for it.
Across all categories of merchandise, promotion marketing expenditures for sampling in 2001 were $1.23 billion, according to PMA’s state of the industry report.
Sampling Succeeds in Beauty
“Sampling is increasing in the market,” said Steven Nussbaum, director of marketing for Cosmetic Packaging Group, a division of O. Berk, Union, NJ, which offers a full line of sample-size vials, bottles and jars in glass, plastic and metal. Nussbaum added, “It’s the classic ‘try it, you’ll buy it.’ It’s a way to get the product into the consumers hands.”
Brand marketers are engaged in more sampling promotions this year than last year, agreed Susan Hain, marketing manager of Marietta Corp., Parsippany, NJ-based supplier of samples and hotel amenities.
“Since the fall of last year, we have seen a dramatic increase in promotional sampling taking place in the marketplace,” said Gary Bobko, Glenroy vice president of sales and marketing. Glenroy, Menomonee, WI, is a supplier of films used to make pouches and packets for flexible packaging.
“Contract packaging professionals have explained that after an extended lull in sampling due to a soft economy, end use customers feel it necessary to sample aggressively. The major as well as medium sized companies are willing to test market new products in a controlled sampling program,” Bobko noted.
Reaching the Right Consumer
Marketers are also using more targeted vehicles to distribute samples, Hain explained, such as offering samples in response to a request made via the internet. “Such online registrations are on the rise,” Hain said, “Because it captures valuable consumer information for the marketer and sends sample requests to a viable purchaser, who specifically requested the sample—not just anyone.
“The internet is an excellent vehicle because the requestor is interested in trying the product and that requestor has the highest purchasing potential, Hain stated. She added “At-Counter is equally strong because product attributes and usage tips are delivered through the personal touch. And “magazines are becoming stronger distribution vehicles for samples and the Ride-Along-Rate sample is rapidly gaining popularity among major consumer goods companies.”
“One of the best ways to put a sample into the hands of the right consumer is to feature the sample with a saleable product that the consumer already knows and loves,” advised Nancy Duvinsky, director of marketing and business development for DMI, Wharton, NJ. “DMI offers thermoform and stretch card packaging as effective vehicles to showcase product and deliver samples.
“Samples should be small and easy to carry,” Duvinsky noted. “They should provide enough product for the consumer to use and properly evaluate the product offering. DMI’s Mini Lips is the ultimate package,” she said, for a brand marketers needs because it is small enough to fit into an evening bag, sports pouch or jeans pocket, yet versatile enough for any lipstick formula. Mini Lips is offerd as a turnkey solution, through which DMI delivers a complete, finished sample.
| Rexam’s SP5K ‘invisible’ pump tops off the mini spray sampler for Crave Calvin Klein. |
Scent of Successful Samples
Valois is making converts with its Click & Dream fragrance sampling system. Made up of a thermoform blister held in a paperboard envelop approximately 1.5 inches wide and 2.5 inches high, the Click and Dream package is flat on the back and curves on the front to accommodate the blister. The paperboard surfaces provide room for brand images and information. The top of the card is perforated and is snapped off to open the blister and release the fragrance. By “clicking” the packet, fragrance is sprayed from a small sponge inside the blister.
The Click and Dream system is currently being used in the worldwide launch of Ferrari fragrance and Ultra Violet by Paco Rabanne. Jerry Whelan, director of sales for Valois of America, said that the company’s overall business for the first quarter is up 40% to 45% over the same period last year. “It seems that high end fragrance inventories are being depleted and reorders and launches are restarting,” Whelan said. “The world of fragrance is recovering to pre-September 11, 2001 levels.”
| Valois’ Click and Dream system is used to sample Ultraviolet Man by Paco Rabanne. |
Creating a sample that has the look and feel of the full-size product is in demand. The SP5K ’invisible’ pump from Rexam Dispensing Systems tops off the mini spray sampler for the Crave Calvin Klein fragrance, giving the package the same high-tech look as the full-size product.
The SP5K conceals its spring at the top of the pump and the material of the pump body and ball is transparent, making it almost invisible.
Rexam Dispensing Systems also produced a fragrance spray sampler package for Thierry Mugler’s Angel Innocent EDP that mimics the look of a candy wrapped in a bright foil roll. The 1.2ml, clear polypropylene spray sampler is from Rexam’s Sofistic’s packaging line. The fragrance name is screen printed on the surface of the container as well as the wrapper.
“This package shows how Rexam continually looks for innovative ways to market spray fragrances,” said Hervé Bichon, vice president Rexam Dispensing Systems, “the Thierry Mugler sampler goes beyond the traditional card holder approach and offers an eye-catching, fun experience for the customer. The bright wrapper entices the customer to open the package and the sampler inside entices the customer to use the spray until empty. This is a powerful marketing tool.”
| The PolySeal from Stoffel adds scent to shelf appeal. |
Scenting System Make Cents
A common problem in self-service retail environments is damaged packages. In these days when everything from skin care to dish detergent and window cleaner is promoting fragrance, one of the main reason consumers open packages in the store is to see what it “really smells like.” But once a container is opened, if there’s another box on the shelf that isn’t ripped apart, the consumer will buy the pristine package, leaving the damaged items to end up a loss.
Stoffel Seals’ PolySeal technology offers a solution that cannot only answer the consumer’s question about the fragrance but also provides another factor to distinguish product on the retail shelf. “Basically, we can take whatever scent the customer has and have it replicated in a PolySeal finish,” said David Feldman, divisional sales manager of the Nyack, NY-based supplier of medallions and seals. “We then combine the PolySeal finish with a medallion to produce an embellishment that also works as a subtle fragrance message. The scent is not at all overpowering and has shown that it will last well over a year.”
| Miniature fragrance bottles from SGD are collector’s items. |
Miniature Packaging for Maximum Impact
Marketers, responding to demand from collectors, are also contracting for more miniature replicas of full-size fragrance bottles, according to Daniel Saksik, president of Saint-Gobain Desjonqueres (SGD) of America. “In the beginning, a miniature was a good way for perfumers to introduce their fragrances, but now, more and more, marketers put the miniatures in sets for collectors,” Saksik said. “The miniatures are also an excellent way to be sure the consumer can easily identify the fragrance. The miniatures are ’cute’ and collectable, making them doubly valuable as a sample.” In its glass factories in France and the U.S., SGD has special machines that allow it to produce the miniature bottles. Saksik explained, “The difficulty of producing miniatures is mainly due to the light weight of glass, the very tight tolerances required and the fact that with small sizes, the shapes are not that easy to represent. Our ability to produce samples in France and in the U.S., plus production in all the shades of glass is a big advantage (for SGD).”
Recent miniatures from SGD include Addict for Dior, Desire Femme and Desire Blue from Dunhill, and Eau De Cartier by Cartier. These miniatures hold 5ml of fragrance. Other miniatures can hold as much as 7.5ml and 10ml.
SGD also supplies sample vials mostly in 1- and 1.7-oz sizes that are usually equipped with spray dispensers.
Brand marketers for cosmetics are also asking for samples that can give consumers the true feel of the actual product, according to Charles Chang, president of Topline Products Company, Wayne, NJ. Topline surveyed cosmetic companies to find out exactly what type of sample package was needed. “We found that for lipstick shades, the sampling device must have a low cost of less than $.10 per shade,” said Chang. “It must be able to deliver the actual product, not simulated colors, fit in with current channels of distribution, provide enough product for a trial but not so much that the consumer could use it for weeks, and be clean and easy to use.”
| Topline’s TRUE-tester offers an economical way to sample lipstick in a format that mimics full-size products. |
Topline’s patent-pending TRUE-tester meets all those requirements. TRUE-tester consists of a bullet-shaped clear plastic base and a cover. The base is coated with a thin layer of the actual lipstick bulk, providing enough lipstick for two to four applications. The shape and size of the bullet can be customized and an airtight feature can be added for solvent-based formulas. Each base, which can be coded with a product name, can be snapped into another base to form a stackable multi-shade sampler pack. “The customer supplies the lipstick bulk and we will ship back the filled samplers according to spec,” Chang emphasized.
Qualipac offers a group of diminutive containers called Mini’s that include bottles, jars, lipstick holders and compacts. The new Qualimini is a transparent miniature bottle that holds 3ml and is appropriate for creams and shower gels. “The process and technology allows us to produce many different designs in order to duplicate miniature shapes of main treatment and cosmetic lines (similar image for 5- to 10ml sizes),” said Eric Vanin, vice president sales and marketing, for Qualipac America Corp., Whippany, NJ.
Flexible Packaging—Value Packed
| Flexible packaging is just that—flexible. Glenroy supplies a variety of films (left) to be formed into packets. Marietta creates packets that can be delivered in magazines (center). Flexpaq’s Retail Paq (right) offers multiple packets in a carton for use as samples or unit doses. | ||
“Pouches are hot,” said Eric Ludwig, president of Telmark Packaging Corp., a turnkey supplier of packaging based in Hazlet, NJ. “The best, simplest way to get the most sample is to use a flexible packet or pouch. You can also decorate it and make it in different shapes,” Ludwig stressed. He noted advantages: printing for the flexible packages has become much better, so the finished is look is enhanced, and, unlike some sample technologies, pouches can be mailed.
Hain said that currently Marietta’s packets and small size bottles are the most popular sampling vehicles. She noted, “Die-cut packets in the shape of the actual product are in demand because the silhouette reinforces brand image while building product awareness.”
Other Marietta formats that are trendy include packs that can deliver multiple samples of a single product or several different products; coupaks, which are packets with a coupon integrated into the design of the packet that encourages a “return to purchase” and magazine inserts that carry samples to a targeted readership.
“Ride-Along-Rate samples are also quite popular by offering a full size sample of product (up to 3.3-oz.) aimed at specific target audiences through subscription magazines,” said Haines. “The Ride-Along-Rate sample delivers real product—not a rendition and offers the ability to sample multiple products at one time.”
According to Glenroy’s Bobko, flexible packaging is the preferred method of distribution for sampling programs because it offers outstanding printability that highlights creative graphics and product information, product protection, and ease of distribution and use. “Glenroy’s award winning wide-web flexographic reverse print technology offers the end-use customer and our contract packagers, who often form, fill and seal the pouches for the end-user, a high quality package that has a strong and positive impact,” stated Bobko. “Glenroy also maintains a comprehensive database of ingredients used predominately in cosmetic products so that it can research the appropriate structure based on the customer’s ingredients and suggest cost-effective flexible packaging.”
Bobko noted that there are many methods for sample distribution including hand outs at department stores; mailers included with advertisements, monthly bills, or statements; or newspaper or magazine inserts. He stated, “Each requires a different level of pouch burst strength and Glenroy has successfully supplied flexible packaging laminates into every mode of distribution.”
Identipak, a McAllen, TX-based supplier of flexible pouches used in sampling and as unit dose containers, has carved out a niche as a premier die cutter, according to Margery Woodin, company spokesperson. Woodin explained that the company’s equipment accommodates tooling that is flexible and can be set up quickly. “We can produce packets with all sorts of shapes, from bottles to various fruits and flowers. Whatever image reflects the brand, we can make the packet into that shape,” she stated. “Die-cut packets are very effective. They not only get the consumer to try to the sample, but help the consumer to remember the sample as well.”
Flexpaq’s newest package concept is the Retail Paq. Jim Gabilanes, vice president of sales for the company, said, “It is one of our packages in which the marketer can easily package their product and offer it, or sell it, to the consumer at retail. It could be promoted as a travel package, or a convenience package. The Retail Paq now offers customers the advantage of delivering multiple samples of one or more products in a specific dosage.” With Retail Paq, a marketer can provide the consumer with more than one trial sample allowing her to experience the product over several days. The same format allows the consumer to purchase a complete regime of samples or take the exact number of packets needed for a trip.
Based in Montreal Canada, Fillab manufactures unit-dose packaging that is ideal for creams, lotions, gels, shampoos and all types of liquids, according to Richard Zajko, U.S. sales manager. In addition to glass and plastic ampoules, Fillab offers thermoform and flexible packet packaging that can be used for sampling as well as retail sale. The company offers stock shapes and sizes and can also create a custom mold to duplicate any product shape in a smaller size for samples or unit-of-use. The company offers turn key services including creating the form, filling and sealing the various package formats for its customers.
Fillab offers multi-dose packages such as a sample card with a five-day supply of ampoules and mini-trial kits, which can incorporate more than one product on a card. Zajko said, “Some are retail trial size that are sold rather than given away.”
Specialists in Multisensory Communication
Arcade Marketing, New York, NY, supplies hundreds of thousands to millions of samples in a wide variety of forms for its customers in the cosmetic, fragrance and personal care industry. “We can accommodate any reasonable request,” said Louis Zafonte, senior vice president, marketing and business development. “But it’s our menu of technologies that really sets us apart.”
Because 70% to 80% of Arcade’s work is part of an advertising campaign, that menu is made up of a range of delivery systems that can be a part of printed materials such as magazines, direct mail pieces and catalogs.
Marketers work in cycles and some have slowed down the number of launches during the current slow economy, according to Zafonte. “But when they do roll out a new product, they have to have some type of multi-sensory communication. Many of them have found that targeted marketing is more effective than broad-based, hit or miss campaigns,” he explained, and are asking Arcade to come up with something more unique.
| Mary Kay uses Arcade’s BeautiPak to sample lipstick. |
Recent innovations include the BeautiPak, a thermoformed tray with two wells that can hold a sample of a cosmetic and an applicator. BeautiPak was recently used in a project for Mary Kay to sample a lipstick. The lipstick shade is seen through a clear blister and accessed when a foil barrier is peeled off, also revealing the applicator. BeautiPak holds one trial application because, “research shows that most consumers can make a decision with one trial,” Zafonte explained.
BeautiSeal, suitable to sample makeup shades, consists of foil layered over paper stock. A foil cover is peeled back to reach a sample that holds just enough product to test the shade. ActiSeal, an enhancement, is able to sample two products such as a treatment that is only mixed upon application. It features a single common cover that peels back to reveal two chambers. Each chamber holds a component of a dual- formula product. The two formulas blend when applied to skin. ActiSeal is a pressure sensitive format only and affixes to a magazine page, bind-in card or other carrier.
LiquaTouch, a fragrance system, is a cost-effective alternative to a vial, according to Zafonte. It is a one-use sample that can also be used for saleable items for travel that was introduced in 1997 and is currently popular in Europe. As a stand alone sample, LiquaTouch consists of a layer of foil that is sealed to board stock. For magazines, it’s two layers of foil. The bottom layer is pressure sensitive and affixes to the carrier.
= The top layer of foil peels off to reveal an applicator pad that is saturated with the fragrance.
| Redken chooses Unette’s new PrismaPak as the package for Extreme Deep Fuel (left). Packaging Systems offers the Mini tube (center) as a sample or unit dose container. The Twist-Tip Vial (right) from Unicep Packaging can stand upright once the tip is removed. | ||
Unit Dose: Multi-Task
Unit dose containers play several roles in HBA packaging. Holding the right amount of product for a single application, they are equally effective as sample containers or as packages for finished product.
“Consumers are looking for unit of dose products because they are great for travel and also are a way to avoid any contamination,” said Joseph R. Hark, president of Unette Corp., a Wharton, NJ-based manufacturer. Hark added, “Unit of use packaging is also tamper evident and can serve as good way for a consumer to try a product before investing in a purchase.”
Redken chose Unette’s new PrismaPak as the best way to present Extreme Deep Fuel, a hair treatment product. The unit dose (20ml) tubes are transparent blue with white lettering. Redken packages Extreme in five tubes to a box.
The see-through color unit-of-use tube allows the product to become an integral and visible part of the package design. Both the overall color of the PrismaPak tube and the message or graphics on it, can be printed end-to-end for maximum design flexibility. In addition, both the tip and the butt of the tube can be custom-shaped to provide other design possibilities.
James Alexander Corp., Blairstown, NJ, specializes in unit dose ampoules in glass and plastic, and is growing as its products are used for pharmaceuticals and skin treatment products, according to Francesca Fazzolari, company president. “Single use packaging has been accepted by the consumer to avoid contamination. Portability is also a plus,” Fazzolari stated. “Instead of opening a traditional package, the consumer opens an ampoule, uses it and throws it away. She doesn’t have to weigh and measure to be sure it’s the right amount.”
James Alexander is working on a new plastic ampoule that is expected to be ready in two or three months that will be a two-part system. Fazzolari explained that the new product is a double ampoule construction—a plastic ampoule with a glass ampoule inside it. Both ampoules hold liquid. The consumer will squeeze the plastic ampoule to release the contents of the glass ampoule and mix the contents of the two. The final formula is dispensed through a swab that also acts as a filter so no glass fragments reach the consumer.
Packaging Systems LLC, Branchburg, NJ, has a new product that has potential as a unit dose or sample container, according to company owner and president Goran Adolfsson. “The Mini tube is a scaled down version of a squeeze tube that we are injection molding in polyethylene in a 5ml size. Then we can fill it to be 3ml, 4ml or 5ml and simply seal and trim accordingly.” So far, the Mini tube is being used for hand creams, hand sanitizers and foundations, according to Adolfsson. “It’s an interesting, fun novelty,” he said. “We stock them in clear and white and could make them in any color. We can deliver in a few weeks and can also offer four-color offset printing or silk screening.
Unicep Packaging, Sandpoint, ID, manufactures plastic packages used for both samples and finished unit dose packages in a modified blow molding process. Its latest product is the Twist-Tip Vial, which has a broad appeal, according to Steve Dilts, director of sales and marketing. “Once it’s been opened by its twist off tab, it can stand up right,” Dilts said. As a container for samples, a full wrap label can be applied to mimic the full size product. It can also be used as a line extension to hold a single dose of a product for travel or in a sampler pack. The company offers six stock sizes, from 0.2ml to 10ml and has a 15ml size scheduled to be available in June ’03. It is available in polyethylene and polypropylene for better barrier properties.
Unicep Packaging fills, seals and does the final packout on its products. It can also mix formulas in order to be a one stop shop, Dilts stated.
