Sample packaging has become a staple of the travel industry as consumers clamor to carry their staple brands on flights overseas which are driving the desire for travel-sized versions of their favorite toiletries and beauty products. Commonly known as minis, deluxe samples, or sample sizes, sample packaging is projected to become a $3.2 billion dollar industry by 2028 and shows no signs of stopping in a post-Pandemic world.
Why Sample Packaging?
The age of sample packaging being viewed as “throwaway” products is long gone as more consumers and businesses are leveraging the benefits of sample sizes to strengthen their branding and marketing across multiple markets. In today’s guide to choosing the right sample packaging, we’re going to cover all the intricacies of selecting the perfect sample packaging and the benefits they can provide across multiple industries.
Let’s talk sample sizes and why customers love them. Sample sizes are a great way to meet consumer needs while building brand awareness and increasing revenue for your business. Typically sample sizes run from 3oz. capacity or smaller which also allows them to meet TSA regulations for easier traveling.
Consumers are more willing to try a new product when it’s offered in a smaller size because they can “try before you buy” without committing to a standard-sized product they may not enjoy. This can often lead to higher rates of customer satisfaction because it allows the consumer to experience the product before making a monetary investment.
The Benefits of Sample Packaging
The benefits of incorporating sample size packaging into your product lineup is a strategic and accessible option for consumers interested in trying out new offerings. Sample size packaging also has the versatility to be marketed as specialty items, gift sets, and hotel amenities. Creating sample size packaging also allows your business to test out new products and receive feedback on new product lines which can allow you to change the packaging, formula, or ingredients before you go to market.
If you have a staple or household products then creating sample sizes allows you to maximize the sales by offering bundled gift sets that loyal customers can gift to friends and family during a popular season like the holidays.
Bath & Body Sample Packaging
In a post-COVID environment when hygiene is more vital than ever in our society, sample packaging makes consumers feel safe and clean. The bath and body industry is known for having in store samples consumers can dip their hands into before they even make a purchase which in a pre-Pandemic environment was ideal, but post-Pandemic, it doesn’t work.
Consider the accessibility of stepping into a Bath & Body Works and having the freedom to take home pocket-sized lotions, hand sanitizers, or candles at a low price point and convenient size. Sampling is meant to leave an impression and in the expanding category of bath and body products creating sample sizes allows you to remain competitive with rival brands.
Creating sample packaging for bath and body products can help you to expand and reach customers outside a brick and mortar store or eCommerce website by distributing items for travel, guest/spare bedrooms and bathrooms, rental properties, etc. Bath and body businesses are known for having accessible sample sized packaging because it allows customers who purchase the full size variants to rinse and reuse them for additional/future use.
Sample packaging is great for products like hand soaps, body lotions, and body washes which can be easily shipped in smaller containers with more units. Smaller containers means multiple can be shipped together, saving time and money that may otherwise be spent on multi-sized boxes and shipping fees.
Cosmetics & Fragrance Industries
The era of lipstick swatches and trying out your favorite foundation or eyeshadow from community testers at a local drug store are far behind us now that consumers want more hygienic approaches to testing out their favorite cosmetic products.
From subscription services, travel sizes, mini sets, and trial packages, the fragrance and cosmetic industry has made a quick pivot to paving its own trail within sample packaging. This industry has been ahead of the sample packaging game for a while since their first foray into sample pouches were included in print media like catalogs and magazines.
In today’s climate, trial-size packaging such as sachets, pouches, and vials have become a go-to marketing tool as eCommerce brands clamor to get into subscription boxes and influencer PR boxes. Fragrance & cosmetic sample sizes can also double as the perfect travel size containers because their liquid capacity is below most international airport security agencies and TSA’s maximum threshold. You can make your brand stand out with beauty brand marketing tips such as:
- Improving your website experience with personalized quizzes
- Engaging with your audience on social media with a livestream or Q&A
- Partnering with an influencer to help sample and review your products
Spices, Teas, and Herbs Packaging
Herbs packaging comes down to a few factors regardless of how it’s packaged: freshness and flavor which severely alter the taste, smell, and appearance of the final product. Like all of the other product industries mentioned above, sample packaging sizes in the spices, teas and herb industries allow your consumers to try out your products before committing to your full size or bulk offerings.
There are several ways you can package a single herb or tea so you can have a package mixture or bundle that shows a spectrum of samples to your customer. Providing samples of your many luxury products also allows you to bundle many bestsellers together as a gift for the holidays, or run sales (such as buy 4 get 1 free).
Spice packaging is also reusable, resealable, and easy to package and promote as you curate bag collections that people will love. You have the flexibility to use eco-friendly packaging, customizable components for branding, and the option to select different jar sizes which can help enhance the appearance of your spices.
The Power of Packaging
The power of sample packaging cannot be underestimated since they are so frequently used across several industries and markets. Once you harness the possibilities that sample packaging can have for your branding and marketability with new customers, the more creative you can be with your products.
Leverage the possibilities of using sample packaging to test out new products and get customer feedback that can help your marketing initiatives. Whether it’s spices, herbs, cosmetics, or your favorite bath products, start researching the ideal sample sizes that your customers will love and favorably showcase the product. Glassnow features an array of TSA-friendly sizes and glass packaging containers that can be applied to a range of products.
