An online platform, Sample Store allows its members to select and try out premium products ranging from skincare, food and beverage, to FMCG by using their loyalty points.
The samples will be delivered to their doorsteps and leaving a product review allows the members to reinstate the points spent. The concept is known as “tryvertising”.
Eu Yan Sang put up its Essence of Chicken with Goji Berries and Red Dates on Sample Store last month.
It is also the first time for the two to collaborate, with the goal of promoting the brand to more consumers.
According to Sample Store, 200 bottles of the product were put up for what was planned to be a one-month campaign, but the product samples went out of stock within two weeks due to good reviews.
The product is targeted at individuals with strained vision, frequent users of technological gadgets, students who need to nourish blood and calm the mind, seniors who wants to enrich blood and improves visual acuity, and new mothers-to-be who require prenatal nourishment, according to Eu Yan Sang.
"Sample Store’s ‘Grow Better’ helps brands reach their target audience through sample distribution.
"Customer testimonials and word-of-mouth have been key to the adoption and prevalence of TCM since time immemorial. Through this pilot initiative, we are simply harnessing modern digital tools to tap into the age-old power of organic referrals.
"Sampling helps consumer reduce the barriers to purchase, and we find that once people have experienced TCM, and in particular, the quality of Eu Yan Sang, we have a convert," Ji Ching Tang, Head of Digital Transformation & Growth, Eu Yan Sang International said in response to queries from NutraIngredients-Asia.
Aside from Sample Store, Eu Yan Sang has also made inroads into e-commerce with its flagship stores on Shopee and Lazada, as well as selling the products on food delivery service platforms GrabMart and PandaMart.
This is in addition to the 180 retail stores that it operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, and China.
For premium products
Sample Store believes that product sampling and reviews can help premium brands reach out to new users who might be hesitant to spend on premium products.
“Eu Yan Sang’s products are more premium, and so for new consumers, reviews [on Sample Store’s website] can help them to be more informed, to have more awareness of the brand and its products, as well as inject credibility and trust in the brand a lot more," said Amber Chong, AVP of Sample Store.
"Reviews play a very important role in e-commerce and tryvertising facilitates user reviews by allowing users to have real life experience of a particular product and leave a review for it."
Another health and nutrition brand which has partnered Sample Store is Protison from Taiwan. The brand had put up its vanilla flavoured branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) protein powder on Sample Store last year.
Suntory’s C. C. lemon, a carbonated lemon drink containing vitamin C, is also available on the store since last month.
Aside from providing samples, brands can also put up their products for actual sale.
According to Chong, there are over 300,000 users on Sample Store.
She added that the team at Sample Store would compile a report for the participating advertisers or brands for them to find out more about the types of users who have tried their products and key consumer sentiments on the products.
Carlos Choon, senior business development manager at vPost and Sample Store, added that the target audience of Sample Store are working adults in their 20s to mid 40s as they tend to have a higher spending power.
