Samples Drive ROI

According to the recent Simultaneous Media Usage Survey conducted by Columbus, Ohio-based BIGresearch, product sampling is the most influential in-store marketing method when it comes to influencing consumer purchase decisions. The survey found that sampling is a reliable option for marketers looking to boost return on investment (ROI), with 52.4 percent of adults 18 and older who said they were either "influenced" or "greatly influenced" by in-store product sampling, compared to 43.2 percent who cited product labels and 39.5 percent for shelf coupons. Following the top three, the most influential in-store media are: special displays (35.5 percent), store loyalty/card (33.1 percent), coupon on register tape (28.4 percent), in-store events/contests (28.1 percent), parking lot/sidewalk events (18.2 percent), in-store TV (10.9 percent), in-store radio (7.5 percent) and floor graphics (2.5 percent). BIGresearch surveyed 15,167 consumers in June and July.