Sampling helps break down price barriers, allowing customers to try products risk-free. It showcases taste and quality and can lead to reciprocation, where consumers feel compelled to purchase after receiving something for free. So we strategised this campaign to become an experience like no other by engaging multiple touchpoints - from in-store to online, harnessing employee advocacy and more.

Food sampling helps introduce products to new customers, present new varieties to existing customers, establish goodwill with retailers, gather customer feedback, boost sales significantly (5 to 10 times above average), and lead to long-term residual increases in sales. Additionally, free samples can enhance word-of-mouth marketing, as people tend to talk more about products they receive for free.

We have extensive expertise in mass sampling, so we know how effective it can be. It allows customers to experience products from the comfort of their homes, which leads to increased engagement and drives online sales. To make the experience accessible to more shoppers, we decided to implement sampling through Tesco.com, allowing those unable to shop in-store to participate.

To recruit new-to-brand customers, we selected stores in affluent areas, specifically to encourage Dawn shoppers (with more disposable income) to switch to the higher-end Finest line. Dawn shoppers are classified as having fewer constraints regarding money and placing a premium on quality. They love the shopping experience, and with time to spare, they like to compare and contrast products. We wanted to offer chances to try at every point along the shopper journey, so we deployed food trucks in the car parks, a cooking theatre in the foyer, and an Ambient Sampling stand in the aisles.

We knew that to capture the attention of affluent shoppers, we needed to inspire them with the Tesco Finest range and show them new ways to cook or prepare the products. We experimented with recipes, fine-tuning ingredients to create tasty ideas to hero the range.

We sourced the best Brand Ambassadors from across the country to perfect the recipes on-site. Working with the Tesco product teams, we provided them   with a specially designed accreditation training program focused on igniting their passion for selling the products in-store. As such, we dived into product provenance and the stories behind the ingredients with extensive brand and product briefings and high-quality customer communication training to ensure that all staff were of the highest standard. Their secondary responsibility was to draw attention to the Clubcard offers to incite further sales following sampling.

Our research showed that brand messages are re-shared 24 times more frequently when distributed by employees through employee advocacy than when distributed by the brand. So, we wanted to engage Tesco colleagues to help them drive the range and spread the Finest message. We strategised to get them hands-on with the products and recipes, hosting tasting sessions in the staff breakout spaces and empowering them with first-hand knowledge of what they were selling.

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Our elevated sampling campaign hit 300 stores over 1,841 days, taking over the car parks, foyers and aisles with strategically placed, beautiful, high-end displays designed to entice shoppers over with aromatic wafts of freshly cooked Finest food. We also visited Tesco's Head Office , sampling the Finest recipes to colleagues so they could experience them like shoppers across the country and providing product provenance training to ignite their passion for the range. The idea was to familiarise them with the range so they could more effectively drive in-store sales based on their knowledge and give trusted recommendations to shoppers with high employee advocacy.

A branded food truck in the car park offered delectable Aberdeen Angus 35-day-matured ribeye steak sandwich samples cooked fresh and perfectly paired with Tesco Finest wines. In-store shoppers could also try smoked salmon blinis, olive bread with gooey gruyere cheese, indulgent red velvet cake, and refreshing Rose Prosecco. Expert BAs educated people on the products’ high-quality ingredients and techniques, inspiring them to switch to the Tesco Finest range.

Aligning with Tesco, we ensured that everything sampled was on Clubcard prices to help drive sales so customers could get anything they tasted at a great price.

To spread the Tesco Finest message further, we also implemented taster boxers through Dot.com. We specifically profiled and targeted the recipients, prioritising Dawn customers and those who had lapsed on purchasing Tesco Finest products to relaunch directly to them and encourage re-engagement. A branded Tesco Finest box with fusilli or orecchiette and sumptuous tomato sauce was sent to shoppers, bringing the Finest experience to life in the comfort of their homes.

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