Let sampling campaigns prove the power of your product.

By Burt Rhodes

Sure, good marketers are experts at explaining to consumers the many benefits and advantages of a new product or brand. But convincing those same customers to purchase isn’t always as simple as broadcasting a commercial or aiming e-mails at them.

Sometimes, say experts, winning consumers to a product means letting them try it before they buy it. Sometimes, a brand has to lead by a sample.

“Product samples are a way of creating excitement,” explains Rico Cipriaso, a corporate marketing veteran who has spearheaded product sampling campaigns for major international beauty brands. “Sending samples is one of the best ways to reproduce a store experience in the customer’s home.”

Indeed, sampling continues to rank among the most effective tactics in the …