Steady Growth

Spending on product sampling had been growing steadily since 2003. However, the growth pace slowed significantly in 2008, rising to $2.20 billion and then to $2.21 billion in 2009, according to the VSS Communications Industry Forecast.

Sampling by surprise is in vogue as this rep hands out Halls cough drops at a farmer's market.

About 70 million consumers every quarter are estimated to receive some type of sample, with one-third of those trying the sample buying the product during the same shopping trip, VSS said.

A trend underway in 2009 to find unique venues for distributing samples will continue in 2010. These venues offer an added element of surprise, which often delights recipients. For example, in-home parties have been staged by brands like Microsoft, Domino's, Sargento, Ziploc, Ford and others sampling their wares among friends and families in intimate settings. House parties allow people to experience and use a product as they might on a regular daily basis in their own homes.

Cadbury distributed its new Halls Naturals cough drops at farmer's markets at a time of year when people often suffer from sniffles and sore throats. Brand reps hit the ski slopes to hand out packets of Alacer Corp's Emergen-C vitamin drink mix. To taste the latest flavors, people visited drink-mixing stations positioned under an inflatable tent dubbed Emergen-C's “Get Shred Ready Igloo.” Club-goers who used the valet parking service at some Miami Beach nightclubs discovered cold, full-size bottles of the drinks and branded floor mats in their vehicles.