While there’s an obvious influx in the advertising of cold and flu products as the weather gets cooler, the game changes when someone wakes up with a scratchy throat. The mindset shifts from “maybe I’ll try something” to “I need something that works, and fast.” For brands in the health and wellness space, the moment where need meets urgency, is trial gold. The experience goes from simply getting a sample into hands to intercepting a consumer during a high-receptivity state. As a result, that sampling moment turns into meaningful engagement, trial, and, ultimately, purchase.
In this blog, we explore the power of sampling during one of the most predictable and urgent occasions: cold & flu season.
Why Occasion-Based Sampling Works
Occasion-based sampling taps into one of the most powerful dynamics in consumer behavior: the link between context and decision. When brands meet people while they’re in a ‘need state’, they are going beyond distributing samples, they’re providing an immediate solution during a moment of high relevance.
Research shows that 38% of consumers report changing their everyday behaviors during cold and flu season, from how they shop to what they purchase. That shift represents a unique window of openness, where people are more willing to try new remedies, trust recommendations, and purchase products that promise relief or prevention.
During cold and flu season, we’ve seen firsthand that when a sample is delivered in the right environment, at the right moment, conversion and loyalty follow. That’s why we prioritize timing and venue as much as we do scale.
Venues That Meet Consumers Where They Are
Cold & flu season provides a unique opportunity to reach consumers in environments where they’re actively seeking relief or prevention. Places like urgent care centers, healthcare practices, and campus health clinics are ideal because they capture both those who aren’t feeling their best–and their caretakers–exactly when the need is top of mind.
In addition to providing solutions, these venues also carry built-in trust. When a product is introduced by a nurse, physician, or wellness professional, the patient assumes credibility. This turns a sample from a freebie to a recommendation.
They Are The Results: When Need Meets Opportunity
We’ve executed several programs in this time and space, and have seen firsthand the increased impact that relevance and timing can deliver—far beyond the metrics of mass sampling. When consumers feel supported during an exact moment of need, their journey towards lasting loyalty begins.
Check out some recent highlights:
Hydration Support
When you hear ‘Pedialyte’, you likely think about a product for a sick child. But when they launched their hydration powder for adults, they looked to us to get it into the hands of people during a time of need–and we did just that:
- 66% of category users reported using the electrolyte drinks during times of hydration need, like the flu
- 70 % said they were definitely or most likely to purchase within 3 months of sampling.
- 98% said they would recommend Pedialyte AdvancedCare to others after receiving the samples.
Herbal Remedies & Immune Health
We worked with Traditional Medicinals to get their Immune Zoom tea into the hands of healthcare professionals (HCPs) during cold & flu season. The samples were distributed hand-to-hand from HCPs to their patients, which also provided a valuable implied recommendation.
- 55% of HCPs and 71% of consumers were made aware of the brand for the first time
- 75% of HCPs said they were likely to recommend herbal supplements to patients
- 100 % of consumers said they were ‘somewhat’ or ‘much more likely’ to purchase after trial
Home Disinfectant
When it comes to a cleaning product, there is no better endorsement than being trusted by a hospital. This program targeted distribution to immunocompromised patients and high-risk households via trusted medical offices.
- 70% of responding offices reported they would recommend Clorox Clinical to their patients after receiving this program.
The Power of ‘Right Place, Right Time’
Powerful sampling reaches far beyond simply getting products into hands. When you connect with the right consumer during the right life moments, your brand transforms from an option to a solution.
At Aha!, our strategies go far beyond scale, allowing brands to activate precisely within these key moments—from cold & flu, to getting married or even adopting a pet. Because when you meet people where they are, and when they need you most, trial becomes trust, and trust turns into lifelong customers!
