“The retail locations where we deployed Moms Meet reflected a 54% lift compared to a control in another market. Certainly, the qualitative feedback is very useful, but the translation of that to real sales in our targeted accounts is incredible. We are thrilled with the results!” – Kristine Ford, Vice President of Marketing, Deep River Snacks & HONCHOS
Targeted sampling programs can offer a concrete way for brands to boost sales when breaking into a new market or introducing a new product. Not only do the programs create an organic buzz through word-of-mouth advertising, but they generate a loyal fan base of individuals primed to become repeat customers. Moms Meet recently ran a successful Mom Ambassador Sampling Program, the details of which are laid out below.
What is the Moms Meet Group Sampling Program?
Mom Ambassadors are passionate about raising a healthy family and enjoy talking to their friends and family about information and products that help create a healthier lifestyle. Through Moms Meet, our Mom Ambassadors have the opportunity to provide their opinions and feedback directly to brands and companies.
Our Mom Ambassadors lead a local group consisting of friends and family. When they are accepted into a sampling program, our Mom Ambassadors host a meeting with their groups to try and review the sponsored product. Our Mom Ambassadors collect their group member’s feedback on the product they’ve tried and then share it with Moms Meet.
Background on HONCHOS:
New from Deep River Snacks, HONCHOS™ organic flavored tortilla chips were created by a dad on a mission. Founder Jim Goldberg spent 5 1/2 years developing Honchos after realizing that his autistic son couldn’t enjoy the same chips as his friends. Artificial dyes can be especially problematic for kids on the spectrum, but the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) estimates that over half a million kids in the U.S. suffer adverse behavioral reactions, such as inattention and hyperactivity, from food dyes. With all of the flavor of the leading brand of tortilla chips, but none of the artificial ingredients, Honchos is a snack that everyone can feel good about.
Objectives:
Honchos enlisted Moms Meet to help them achieve the following objectives:
- Brand Awareness – Moms Meet helped create initial awareness of this new product through the program invitation delivered to almost 52,000 Moms Meet members. A select group of Mom Ambassadors, who met Honchos’ geographic requirements, were then chosen to participate in the Honchos Sampling. They were provided with valuable education about Honchos and its distinct competitive advantage over similar products through the Honchos Brand Page on momsmeet.com, a Sampling Guide, social media posts, and more.
- Sales Lift – Mom Ambassadors and their groups were selected for the Honchos program based on their proximity to Kroger stores in Texas and Connecticut where Honchos had recently acquired distribution. Mom Ambassadors and group members were provided with coupons to use specifically in those stores. The Sampling Guide and member program page directed moms to Kroger to buy Honchos.
Honchos sent each Mom Ambassador and their group a personal letter from the founder, a product brochure, free product vouchers for the Mom Ambassador to buy bags of Honchos organic flavored tortilla chips for her group members to sample at their meeting, a high value coupon for each group member, and a special gift for the Mom Ambassador.
Results:
At the end of the review period, Honchos received a comprehensive report of product and program performance. Honchos performed very well among these moms, receiving 95%-96% “Top 2 Box”* ratings for the key measures “Product Rating” and “Purchase Intent”. In addition, 97% of Mom Ambassadors said they “definitely or probably would” recommend this product to their friends. They also left open-ended comments which expressed how well-liked Honchos was by most of the adults and kids for its taste, texture, and the fact that it was a healthier snacking alternative.
In a follow-up survey sent to the Mom Ambassadors, 73% of groups reported purchasing Honchos organic flavored tortilla chips since their group meeting. On average, moms purchased 5.1 bags per month and more than 30% of groups have purchased additional Deep River Snacks since their meeting.
The Moms Meet Group Sampling Program was successful in building brand awareness and achieving a lift in sales at select Kroger stores in Texas and Connecticut. As a result of the sampling program, an estimated 127,500 moms went looking to purchase Honchos chips, and the brand saw more than a 50% lift in sales at the targeted retail locations. Honchos also gained many valuable insights through the Moms Meet final report to help ensure success for the brand.
Want to learn how the Moms Meet Group Sampling Program can work for your brand? Contact us at advertise@maymediagroup.com.
*Top 2 Box is the combination of “Excellent and Good” ratings under “Product Rating” and “Definitely and Probably Would Buy” ratings under “Purchase Intent”.
