For this experiment I contacted companies I know and love to ask for samples and coupons. I implemented two techniques a.) I complimented their product, and asked for a free sample or coupon, and b.) I complimented their product without asking for anything. Below is the experience I had with each company.
L’occitane
I contacted L’occitane on April 19, 2016 via their website. I sent them an email explaining how much I loved their hand cream, and that I would like to try some of their samples. I received a reply the next day letting me know free stuff was on the way! About a week later I received three sample products of their different products.
Chobani
I contacted Chobani via email, and received a reply the same day. I asked for coupons and they said they would get right on that. I still haven’t received coupons in the mail so I’m not sure what happened.
Erin Condren
I’m not sure what I was expecting. Maybe free stickers? I sent them a nice, lengthy email with no strings attached. I didn’t ask for samples or discounts towards my next purchase, and I sure as heck wasn’t offered any.
Twinings
I sent Twinings an email telling them how much I liked I loved their company. Seriously, I do. I’ve even used Twinings black tea to get rid of eye infections. I didn’t ask for coupons or free samples, and like my previous experiences, I didn’t receive anything. They were very happy to hear from me, though!
Treehouse
Cute little green notebook is perfect for writing lists at the grocery store!
I used a different method when approaching Treehouse. They are a membership based program for those learning computer programming (like me!). They don’t sell tangible products like the other companies I contacted, so I asked them if they had any merchandise I could purchase. They didn’t, but I was offered free stickers and notebooks.
Subway
I contacted them on April 19th via email, but I never received a reply.
Marshall’s
I contact Marshall’s on April 19th, and received a reply the next day. I didn’t ask for discounts or a gift card, and I didn’t get anything either.
Goya
I contacted Goya April 19th via email. I really thought I was going to get some coupons, but nope. They no longer offer digital coupons.
Oreo
I contacted Oreo April 19th via email. I received a reply the same day, but they didn’t offer me any coupns.
Stonyfield
Contacted them on April 19, but since I didn’t for coupons I didn’t get any.
Numi Tea
This is a company I never heard of, but I was excited to try their teas. I was honest when contacting them through their site, and I asked them if they could send me free samples. They let me pick out which flavors I wanted to try, and a few days later I received my free samples and a bunch of $1 off coupons. Sweet!
Tazo Tea
Not too impressed with Tazo. They don’t offer any manufacturer coupons, and pointed me to sign up on starbucks.com to sign up for promotions.
That’s the end of the companies I contacted through email. I sent letters to the following companies on April 19th.
Chapstick
I just got a reply from them today. Unfortunately, no coupons or free samples.
Milani
No reply yet.
Kiss my Face
Nope, nothing.
Everclen
Nothing, but I’m still holding out hope for them.
Chipotle
I saved the best for last. They gave me a card for four free burritos! Holy moly, and I can guac on each one. Sweet!
My conclusion? Most of these companies were very thoughtful with their replies, even if they didn’t offer coupons or free samples. I was very impressed with Chobani. The coupons got lost in the mail the first time around, and they sent me a handwritten note along with multiple 30 cents off coupons. I also wasn’t expecting Chipotle to send me such a sweet deal! Treehouse, Numi Tea, and L’occataine were also very generous.
Please pin the image below if you enjoyed this post!
Read through, was this experiment solely about asking people for stuff as an individual or a brand? Maybe it’s cause I’m not American but I don’t understand asking people for stuff just because you can or cause it’s stuff. I can understand saying as a blogger or a brand you’d love to review items in exchange for a testimonial.
Maybe I’ll approach brands and see if they’ll give me stuff. But I guess the takeaway is you have to ask for exactly what you want.
I saw a similar experiment done by someone else on the Internet. I only contacted companies that I really liked or have used their products in the past. The only company I hadn’t been a buyer from was Numi Tea, and I explained to them I wanted to try a sample before purchasing. Their tea was excellent, and the flavor was stronger than any other brands I could find in a grocery store. It’s a good thing to ask for samples, because sometimes you won’t find a great company unless you’re willing to spend money on their product. In my mind, companies that care for their consumers are willing to give samples, coupons, and discounts. I didn’t approach any of these companies stating that I was a blogger. I explained that I was a loyal customer, I liked their company, and I would appreciate receiving coupons or samples. You should try it, Char. Asking for coupons, samples, and discounts gave me a new perspective on how a company treats their customers. Good luck!
Wow! This is so interesting to see how each company responded.Hooray for Chipotle! SO generous and what a sweet deal. Shows they really care!
Xx, K
http://www.jassamineelaine.com
I know, that’s exactly how I felt Kathryn.
This is such an interesting experiment! I might have to try it out… especially Chipotle!
-Olivia
Miss Olivia Says
Thanks Olivia! Good luck. : )
Oh wow. That’s such an awesome deal from Chipotle! I love that you did this. It makes me want to reach out to my favorite brands.
You should! Thanks for commenting, Donnica. You’ll be surprised to find out what you can get. : )
I know how you feel! I send so many emails out a day trying to get just samples to i usually get 1 out of like 50 companies to respond! I’m glad I’m not alone! 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Cassie! I was surprised to see that most of my favorite companies responded favorably. When companies like Chobani check up to make sure I received my coupons in the mail I am more inclined to purchase from them in the future. It’s just the honest truth. If big corporations are not generous with their customers I tend to favor other companies. Even if companies respond with “No, we don’t offer coupons or samples at this time,” I can accept that graciously. I was very disappointed to see that Subway never responded. I took my family out to eat at Chipotle the other day, and when the bill came out to $0 my mom was pleasantly surprised, and vowed to eat at Chipotle next weekend. I liked to eat at Chipotle before, but now I’m definitely a customer for life.
That is great! I’ve done this a time or two but I never really remember to do this. You did get some great discounts. I was surprised at some of these companies that didn’t offer up anything.