Beauty sampling increases online business

Just under two years ago, rubybox launched with a 'try before you buy' business model, which has seen 70,000+ boxes delivered in and around South Africa with Namibia and Botswana now in the mix.

Giving 'freebies'

Sampling has become an integral part of the marketing mix and, while many retailers recognise that sampling is an important strategy, few have understood its effectiveness. New research suggests that giving away 'freebies' is an investment that pays big dividends, particularly for online merchants.

"It allows for customer engagement and the testing of a wide range of products," says Margaux Knuppe, co-founder of rubybox, a 'try-before-you-buy' monthly subscription concept. "In business the relationship with your customer determines your success. Offering them a way to make informed decisions about your product, through sampling, is a proactive step towards establishing an honest, open, experiential interaction. This translates into increased sales and provides a longer-term return on investment.

"Samples are a way of creating excitement. They provide a first-hand experience of being able to try, touch, feel and smell a product and are one of the most successful marketing tools. The more customers who try and like your product, the more people become customers."

The rubybox sampling model offers a monthly box containing personalised trial-sized deluxe beauty products to test. This delivers brands to customer's homes, where they can test them at their leisure and develop their own opinion.

Adding value online

"Sampling alone is not enough though. We believe you need to add value, so we include educational editorial content delivered with the products plus we offer an online magazine, which enables our customers, called 'rubies', to get more out of their sampling experience.

They are also informed of new product launches, exclusive collections, can opt to receive a weekly newsletter or go to the website for beautorials. If they love the product they have trialled then they have the option to purchase the full size online, which is once again delivered to their door. Plus they are able to interact on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest."

In the 22 months that rubybox has been offering the personalised trial-sized beauty brands to a paying, targeted customer base, the business has grown and has secured top international and local brand support.

According to Vassilli Droganis of Africology, the company recognised the experience and overall expertise of the founders in the beauty and communication industry and felt it was a more reliable representation of the brand, as opposed to it falling in between the mass of different products being sampled. "It is straightforward targeted branding which enables us to not only boost sales in the long run but to also receive invaluable market research from the rubies first hand," he said.

Statistics

The rubybox online boutique has also recognised and accepted the research that shows around 90% of consumers are more likely to buy from a retailer that adds a free gift with a purchase, so have ensured special offers are a constant.

"I'd like to believe that the success of rubybox has been due to the fact that products being sampled are done with integrity and purpose. All products are tested and sourced by our team that works in and understands the beauty industry. Plus we offer rubies so much more in terms of information, tips, rubyRands for reviewing products and referring friends. This all works towards making them part of the community, which adds to the brand loyalty factor," concludes Knuppe.