A free sample motivates about 7 in 10 shoppers to purchase an item, according to the market research firm Datassential.1 Food samples are so popular, 63% of consumers expect to see them at grocery stores, followed by 62% at farmers markets. Younger consumers are especially drawn to them at food halls (51% of Gen Zers) and restaurants (43% of millennials).1
But more than a reliable path to purchase and a risk-free way for potential customers to try a product, free samples are also a great way to enhance the shopping experience, promote new varieties and build brand loyalty.
From in-store sampling stations to tasting portions of new menu items to reward program perks, free samples in various forms have long proven to be a powerful strategy to drive sales and brand adoption across an array of platforms.
While in-store demos, event-based handouts and direct mail campaigns remain marketing channels for sampling, brands are shifting away from more costly blanket distribution toward personalized sampling strategies that integrate with online platforms, social media and e-commerce.
This digital shift makes sampling more targeted, data-driven and measurable. Consumers relish the personalized approach tailored to their tastes, and brands dig into the data to form deeper connections with their target audiences.
Online sampling platforms like Sampler, PINCHme and Social Nature enable brands to send free food and beverage products to target audiences based on profiles that consumers create. Consumers are matched with samples that align with their personal preferences and demographics. Brands can then track engagement, ratings, and reviews and collect insights for marketing and product development.
E-commerce integrations help satisfy the appetite for free samples among online consumers and set the stage for upsells and cross-sells. Online food delivery services like Amazon Fresh and Grubhub+ often include free samples based on the customer’s order history.
Given the growing role micro-influencers with small but highly engaged audiences play in marketing, food and beverage brands are increasingly sending them free samples with creative pitches to promote products with posts, stories and reviews.
Given the growing role micro-influencers with small but highly engaged audiences play in marketing, food and beverage brands are increasingly sending them free samples with creative pitches to promote products with posts, stories and reviews.
To cut through the clutter of pitches that influencers receive, Frito-Lay created a wow-worthy unboxing experience for the launch of their Mac N’ Cheetos. Complete with a full press kit, toaster oven, Mac N’ Cheetos, dry ice and more, the kit served up a feast of fun that resulted in “a social media explosion,” according to Influencer Marketing Hub.3 “Thirty influencers shared their excitement, generating 1.3 million impressions and a buzz that continued to grow.”
“In the hypercompetitive social media landscape of packaged food, it takes creativity to capture an influencer’s curiosity and inspire action,” said Hays Formella, social media director at The Food Group. “It’s critical you break through with an interactive, high-impact concept that makes them want to share the wow factor.”
Coca-Cola’s “Take a Taste” campaign combined out-of-home, augmented reality, social media, influencers and retail to persuade Gen Z to try Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Digital-Out-of-Home media enabled them to access a mobile coupon that they could redeem in store for a free Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
One in three digital-out-of-home QR codes were scanned and redeemed, and nearly 70% of downloaded coupons were also redeemed.4 What’s more, the campaign generated 5X average redemption benchmarks, with 57% of Gen Z exposed to it opting for the product.4
“There’s no doubt that digital is not only the future of free sampling, it’s very much a big part of the present marketing mix,” said Megan Keleshian, vice president of digital marketing for The Food Group. “Its cost-effectiveness, wider reach, data-driven insights and high levels of engagement make it a must for generating the greatest ROI of any free sampling program.”
Keleshian added that as AI continues to grow as a marketing tool, brands are sure to dig into AI-powered predictive analytics and optimization to forecast and fine-tune free sampling campaigns based on the vast amounts of data the technology can harness.
“Free samples were once a fairly simple proposition,” she said. “They still are, only now their possibilities are amplified by AI and other digital technologies.”
For more insights into the evolution of marketing, be sure to check out our post Leader of the Pack: How Packaging Can Maximize Market Impact.
1 Datassentail, Retail Food Sampling, February 2022
2 Fizz Experience, “Do Free Samples Really Increase Sales?” March 18, 2024
3 Abastasov, Kalin, “Best Influencer Marketing Strategies for Packaged Food Brands,” March 30, 2025
4 Savi, “How Coca-Cola used mobile coupons to drive trial amongst Gen Z,” 2025