Giving Away Food

The response to a successful demonstration can be overwhelming, according to Melissa Russell, who recently introduced shoppers in Phoenix and Portland, Ore., to California artichokes.

“Research showed us that 50% to 90% of the people in those cities had never eaten an artichoke,” said Russell. “When we cooked them in the stores and passed them out, the stores were selling up to 960 a day.”

Las Vegas is one of the few cities where an in-store demonstrator can pour customers a shot of liquor. Other municipalities require the liquor to be served as part of a recipe. Last Christmas, a Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur promotion featured tiny cream puffs filled with spiked whipped cream.

The high cost of demos is prompting some companies to seek lower-cost alternatives, according to Tony Loiacono, executive vice president and general manager of FCB-Impact, a Los Angeles advertising agency.

“More and more corporations want their products to be sampled, but the cost is so prohibitive,” said Loiacono, whose firm represents Sunkist and Albertsons among others.

One idea under review is to install product dispensers in the stores. This way, shoppers could press a button to receive bite-sized servings of bread and butter or other foods. Loiacono said the dispensers would be cheaper than hiring demonstrators because they could be filled by service people on a weekly basis.