The psychology of cosmetics sampling is the process of understanding why and in what ways a consumer is influenced by getting a free sample. Proper understanding of sampling and its benefits can lead to an increase in perception and sales among cosmetics consumers.
Sampling comes with a number of benefits to customers and businesses alike. These include:
- Reduced risk to customer due to the ability to trial products.
- Reduced cost of transportation for businesses from the lowered size and weight of sachet packaging.
- Lowered carbon footprint and energy consumption of both production and transportation, leading to an increase in sustainability and lowering environmental impact.
At Fillcon, we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality and service available for cosmetic sampling and filling services. We have a wealth of experience in the cosmetics, health, and beauty sectors, with over a decade of history in manufacturing and filling sachets behind us!
In this article, we will explore the different ways in which sampling can affect the psychology of your customers. We will talk about how sampling influences consumer behaviour, how it combats risk aversion, and ultimately how it benefits you.
How Does Sampling Work?
Cosmetics sampling works on several levels of psychology, providing a range of benefits for businesses and consumers alike. These benefits feed into how customers interact with a particular brand or product and ultimately influence whether or not they will buy something.
The main ways in which sampling affects the psychology of a customer, ultimately influencing the way in which they behave regarding products, are:
- Reciprocity
- Salience (importance or noticeability)
- The powers of ‘experience’ and ‘free’
- Risk factors and risk aversion
By focusing on the benefits of each aspect of consumer psychology regarding cosmetic sampling, you will be well equipped to provide samples that can greatly improve your reception and sales.
Reciprocity
A key principle behind the psychology of sampling is reciprocity. This is the idea that when you’re given something, you’ll want to give something back in return. A free sample can be viewed much like a gift or an act of kindness in this regard.
By receiving a sample for free, the customer will be in a situation where they have gotten something without paying for it. Normally they will have paid with money, but in the case of a free sample they have only gained.
This will give them a sense of duty that makes them want to buy your cosmetic product to reciprocate the free sample that they were given. With the quality bottle, tube, pouch and sachet filling services offered by Fillcon, you can make sure they’re not left wanting!
Even if a customer’s reciprocity doesn’t result directly in a sale, it will cause them to view your business and product favourably. This can eventually result in sales of other products due to the good impression your samples would have left on them.
Salience Bias
Salience is the importance or noticeability of something. For cosmetics, this means how easy it is for a product or brand to enter and stay in the mind of a consumer. Salience bias therefore refers to how a customer will be more likely to buy a product that they find impactful.
Something that is striking or memorable is easier to focus on than something that… isn’t. This is seemingly obvious, but incredibly important – and easy to overlook.
Giving a product salience through samples can have a significant impact on how a customer sees it. Packaging (such as pouches featuring our signature Fillcon Spout), product features, and accessibility all feed in to how a product is perceived.
Using Fillcon’s services to fill your sachets and other liquid cosmetic packaging can separate your product from others, making it easier for a customer to notice and keeping it fresh in their mind when it comes to making a purchase.
Free samples give inherent salience through their unique ability to give a customer a physical experience of your product at no detriment to them. This will give them a memory of your product which they can relate to whenever they think about buying it.
The ‘Power of Free’
The concept of ‘free’ is often considered to be a trap. A popular phrase – “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” – is a result of this idea. And it’s true! Free samples often result in a customer wanting more, leading to an increase in sales.
Free samples come only with upsides. They are typically hassle free, don’t involve commitment, and provide a service or product to a customer that they would otherwise have to pay for.
A free sample is appealing. It only involves gain for the customer and helps to invoke the other psychological elements of sampling such as reciprocity.
In turn, the free sample will result in a consumer viewing a brand or product under a positive light, creating a link between them and the brand which helps drive customer satisfaction and sales.
Learn the ins-and-outs of product sampling and how it’s used for promoting your business here. >
The ‘Power of Experience’
Having a physical experience of using a product to remember when considering buying it creates a connection that is invaluable when it comes to making that final decision.
A free sample achieves the power of experience by giving the customer memories of the sensations involved when using a product. It does this by providing just enough of the product so they can see its worth, while leaving them with the feeling of wanting more.
Risk Factors
Spending hard earned money on an unknown product is a risk for most people, convincing people to pay for a product they have never tried before can be challenging. Giving away a product for free is a solution to this, but not a good one for businesses.
Sampling removes the risk factor to both parties. Providing a small amount of the product in a sachet or pouch gives the customer the ability to make an informed decision about purchasing a full product in the future without having to give one away.
There are a number of benefits to using the sachets and pouches that Fillcon can procure, manufacture, and fill, for both consumers and businesses. They are cheaper to transport, cost less to store, and can lead to a decrease in your carbon footprint. Find out more about our cosmetic sampling solutions, or get in touch.
What is Risk Aversion?
Despite the elimination of the risk factors involved, most customers still have some level of risk aversion that extends beyond the exchange of money. Understanding this aversion, and how to combat it, is a good way to see how sampling can influence the behaviour of consumers.
Simply put, risk aversion is the tendency people have to avoid risk and change. There’s a lot more to it than that, however.
With cosmetic products, risk aversion can mean that a customer might continue to use something they’re already familiar with rather than try out a new product, even if making the change would be purely beneficial.
It can be scary to try something new. Whether this is going skydiving for the first time, or just changing the type of shampoo you use, there are a lot of factors to consider – so much so, that many are averse to taking a risk in the first place.
Samples can then be used to provide consumers with the ability to make an educated decision regarding your product.
Samples come with a number of added benefits for customers. They are convenient, offer an increased awareness of what the product does, and improve understanding of its purpose, effectiveness, and attributes.
Cosmetic sampling is unique as it provides the ability for a customer to really get to know what it is they’re buying. They can see how well it works for them, how it smells, feels, and whether it is right for them.
Once a consumer finds out that they like a cosmetic product, their risk aversion will be overcome. They will then feel comfortable to buy more of your product with the knowledge that they gained from using it before.
For specifics on how samples can help your business, look at our guide on perfume samples. >
Cosmetic Sampling Solutions with Fillcon
At Fillcon, we provide the highest quality and the best service to ensure the manufacturing and filling of sachets for your cosmetic samples is the greatest it can be. We can fill bottles, tubes, jars, and tins with the liquid cosmetics of your choosing.
Whatever the goal of your samples may be, we believe that choosing a great cosmetic sampling solver is the best place to start. Fulfilling orders of 10,000 or more, Fillcon is the first name in cosmetic sampling!
Our sachet solutions come with a number of environmental benefits. From the energy and materials saved in production (up to 70% less plastic than a rigid container!) to the reduction in carbon footprint that results from easier transportation and storage, you can be sure that you’re making a better impact on the environment.
If you’re in need of sachets for your samples or are interested in some of our other services, don’t hesitate to get in touch! Otherwise, check out some related articles below.
Check out our beginner’s guide on how to sell your cosmetics internationally. >
Take a look at some eco-friendly packaging tips for liquids. >
