New and expecting parents are a major market and focus for savvy CPG brands and for good reason. A National Center for Health Statistics report revealed that there were approximately 3.6 million births in the United States in 2023, a promising number for companies whose products cater well to new parenthood. That’s a new cohort of parents entering the market daily!
Whether the prospect is a first-time parent or adding another sibling to the household, they can be picky when making choices for the family and may need extra convincing to bring an unknown brand home.
That’s where the power of omnichannel product sampling can help - it gives customers the opportunity to try before they buy. And if you pair these activations with prime venues for expectant moms and parents (like the ones we’ll call out), your CPG brand marketing campaign is guaranteed success.
Omnichannel product sampling campaigns easily tap into the curiosity of moms-to-be
While not all expectant parents are moms, mothers do tend to bear the burden of household responsibilities more. Motherly’s 2023 State of Motherhood Survey Report revealed that 62% of moms solely manage meal planning and preparation and 59% of them are in charge of grocery shopping.
With so much decision-making power, moms are prime customers to win over for CPG brands. Activating omnichannel product sampling campaigns with moms in mind is crucial.
CPG brands have found a winning partner in Recess whose data-driven approach and comprehensive software targets expectant moms and parents smoothly by:
- Identifying the right buyers based on demographics and shopping behaviors
- Using proprietary geotargeting tools to find ideal events and venues
- Launching turnkey sampling experiences to entice customers
Below are three surefire product sampling venues where our clients have successfully reached expectant moms and parents with omnichannel product sampling.
Women-dominant fitness studios work out well for hyper-focused product sampling
If you want to be mindful of which hands your samples end up in when trying to target expectant parents, success can be found at female-friendly fitness studios like barre3. Their membership comprises the primary decision-maker in your target demographic.
Centrum got a big lift for their PreNatal, PostNatal, and Morning Sickness gummies when they partnered with Recess on sampling to drive brand awareness and retail sales. 16 fitness studios were outfitted with 60-count bottles to distribute to their members and enticing branded signage to create positive impressions.
Women at each location were buzzing with excitement to try out samples tailored specifically for them, and even male members were interested, taking samples home for their partners. Tens of thousands of prospective customers were reached in the multi-state campaign that included social media marketing.
Conferences focused on pregnancy and expectant parents are key sampling venues
It seems obvious to plan omnichannel product sampling campaigns to be executed at venues focused on pregnancy and expectant parents but not all CPG brands home in on these opportunities to increase brand awareness and drive product trials.
We worked closely with Magnolia Bakery to distribute tens of thousands 2 oz. cookie samples at the Prego Expo, the nation’s largest event series for new and expectant parents. Sampling was followed up with digital marketing tactics via social media and email for greater reach.
The expecting parents were excited to try the cookies, especially as a snack break in between sessions at the conference. For these growing families, many had seen the product before in local stores but it was the sampling that swayed them to purchase.
Family events highlight positive brand moments for all members of the expecting family
Expectant parents are not the only ones who have a say in what CPG brands and products are purchased for the household. Multiple family members mean multiple sampling opportunities, and where can you get in front of people of all ages? Family-focused events.
Big Bounce America was one such venue where the Recess team found huge success for a leading vitamins brand. As the largest touring inflatable event in the world and a hugely popular outdoor experience, Big Bounce America had a reach of 125 locations nationwide in its 2024 tour and an estimated 1,250,000 participants.
Many of the sampling participants had not been previously exposed to the brand or products similarly targeted at women. This gave our client a strong foothold into being among the first brands to come to mind when thinking about nutritional supplements for moms-to-be.
Looking to target expectant moms and parents?
Recess can help. With more than 15,000 opportunities for sampling which you can filter by consumer demographic, customer behavior, location, proximity to retailer, Recess can support unique brand activation and sampling event execution in turnkey, measurable, and scalable ways. Talk to a Recess expert to learn more.
