misc 1.7oz Glass Woozy vs 9 gram disposable mylar sachet (packet)

Sam & Oliver

Sam & Oliver

I tried to create a poll but I'm not sure it would have worked, so I will post this topic anyway:
 
For TRAVEL and SAMPLE purposes... which vessel is more ideal for customers to manage for events such as picnics, traveling on a boat, eating in a car, on a train, at your kid's soccer game, in a lunchbox or bagged lunch, on-the-go in general and convenience?
 
The 1.7oz (or similar size) glass woozy bottle with a fitted, resealable cap
 
or
 
The 9 gram disposable Mylar sachet (packet) sold in cartons of quantity (unsure what that is, so leaving this as just a 'regular' amount)
 
 
Shown here is a 5oz bottle in the center for control, the 1.7 oz glass woozy on the right, and sachets on the left.
 
types.jpg
 
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I'd easily go with the 9 grammer. I'm not sure what the cost may be between the 2 but I imagine the packet being cheaper assuming the co-packer doesn't need to make 50,000 units in order to make it worth their while.
The 1.7's although appealing would be very cost prohibitive.
Just imagine after a normal sale you can reach down (or over) and grab a few packets(w/variety) and been able to toss them in the customers bag as a show of thanks and to give them a taste of what else you may have available.
 
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Kalitarios said:
according to the co-packer I used now, the price is the same for the packaging part of the process, be it 1.7 oz or 5.0 oz.
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You don't mean they cost them same right ?  Just the cost of "packing" the sauce.   materials (packets vs bottles) would be the real pricing factor I would think.  That stuff is a couple of years away from me if at all, my world revolves around dried usage but it's a interesting topic.

 
...and I like the idea of a variety box of 15-20(even larger) packets with maybe 3-4 types of heat/flavor. 
 I normally pack my lunch for work so if you can get your act together it would be a appreciated. hahahaha :P
 
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i think the mini bottles are cool, and would keep them around and use them again... but the packets seem easier to use / distribute
I like the idea of throwing a couple of the packets as samples for each order. seems like the woozy bottles cost much more to give away as "samples"
 
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I should mention that when I go to the casinos and get morning room service my daughter likes for me to bring home these little guys....she thinks their cute but don't hold much.
 

miniMebottle.JPG
 
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juanitos said:
i think the mini bottles are cool, and would keep them around and use them again... but the packets seem easier to use / distribute
I like the idea of throwing a couple of the packets as samples for each order. seems like the woozy bottles cost much more to give away as "samples"
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I would agree. But you could also get your brand name engraved on the bottle so it could be used as the occasional promotional item. Look at Pepperlover with her pepper grinder right now. Smart lady!
 
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Who are you trying to sample packets to?   How much will you spend for the packets?  How many bottles do you think those packets will sell???? 
 
I think of packeted products as mini versions of an already established brand that restaurants and food service (mini markets, gas stations...) have out for customers to put on their microwaved hot dogs!  (Not that there's anything wrong with microwaved hotdogs!!!! Don't get me wrong...)  
 
I know you get excited and gungho about these things. 
 
 
JMHO... as always....
You can't mass market samples of your artisan sauce to everyone and expect a good ROI.  Especially if you're trying to move more than one product.  Your product would have to be readily available for the sampler to purchase immediately right there...which would mean you'd already be in the store/gas station...
 
Or you'd be there at the FM....
 
 
Maybe pack a few bottles of 1.7oz....but that's not where your money is!  Give a regular 5 oz bottle to the head purchaser for the store chain or Hot Sauce Shop or Restaurant Manager....they want to see the product as it will be on their shelves not mini-me versions.  Get to the people who have the authority to purchase CASES of product and stop trying to get the onesie-twosie customers.  You will get those one-time buyers at the markets and festivals and In-store Demo's you do.
 
If you're not willing to pony up a full size bottle for those with the authority, you look like a cheapskate skimpy operation. 
 
Go for the BIG accounts.
 
again, just my feelings....
 
Get yourself known LOCALLY.  
 
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These would be samples handed out at car shows, sporting events, used at local burger shops, etc.

I'm just exploring other ways to get my product in front of lots of people without handing everyone a 5oz glass bottle to random John q. Public

I am curious as to the feasibility and the portability of sauce on the go. Just r&d. I'm still only concerning myself with 5oz and eventually a larger container for restaurants. This poll is just for what people think of mini bottles vs sachets
 
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Why would you hand out free sample packets at a car show or sporting event and hope they would actually taste the packet at some later time ...and be so in love with the sauce they would make the effort to go online at another later time, pay the shipping, etc,etc???
 
 
If you are at an event, sample the sauce with spoons and a squeeze bottle, HAVE BOTTLES THERE TO SELL IMMEDIATELY!!!!!  Point Of Sale!  Do not rely on people going to a website and ordering.  Shipping will make your bottles cost $9-12 each, and it's a really hard sell.
 
 
I don't have hard facts but I would guess it would be 1 out of 300 people that you would hand a packet to that would actually try the sauce and order a bottle. 
Kalitarios said:
These would be samples handed out at car shows, sporting events, used at local burger shops, etc.

I'm just exploring other ways to get my product in front of lots of people without handing everyone a 5oz glass bottle to random John q. Public 

I am curious as to the feasibility and the portability of sauce on the go. Just r&d. I'm still only concerning myself with 5oz and eventually a larger container for restaurants. This poll is just for what people think of mini bottles vs sachets
Click to expand...
 
 
John Q Public can get a taste at your local FM or In-Store tasting.  John Q Public will be good for a bottle or 2.  Get your sauce to the BigGirls/Boys...The heads of distribution, the store managers, the Regional Mangers!
 
 
 
Individual customers are VERY IMPORTANT! but you are missing the dime to get a penny....
Think about the brands that you see packets of-
Taco Time hot sauce
Tabasco mini-bottles on government contract for MREs
Yellow Mustard (French's or Heinz)
Ketchup (Store brand or Heinz)
Mayo (western family/ store brand)
Horseradish/mayo blend
Heinz BBQ
 
 
Is there a pattern emerging here? 
 
Why do I not have packets of CaJohn's , Dave's Insanity, HBD's Gold, .........????

If you truly believe in your sauces, don't pimp 'em out for onesie-twosies sales that will result from free packet give-aways.  Go for the long term, repeat, wholesale customers and give 'em a 5 oz bottle! 
 
One 5 oz bottle can result in thousands of dollars in wholesale business.
100 packets may result in one retail sale of one bottle.
(stepping down off the Soapbox)   ((again)))
 
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Kalitarios said:
These would be samples handed out at car shows, sporting events, used at local burger shops, etc.

I'm just exploring other ways to get my product in front of lots of people without handing everyone a 5oz glass bottle to random John q. Public

I am curious as to the feasibility and the portability of sauce on the go. Just r&d. I'm still only concerning myself with 5oz and eventually a larger container for restaurants. This poll is just for what people think of mini bottles vs sachets
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If your product is good, sell it. Giveaways are a long shot for ROI.

Selling sauce takes longer but is ultimately more effective as a means of building a clientele and establishing market presence.

You can go broke really fast giving away a boatload of sample bottles or you can sell sauce and earn a customer base one customer at a time.

I don't see give-aways of the scale you're considering to be a good investment. It'll be difficult to prove the return on investment and IMO you're devaluing your product.

If you believe investing in several thousand dollars worth of sauce to give away will buy you a customer base, I'd be inclined to disagree.

Good luck. :cheers:
 
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One 5 oz bottle to the right buyer/manager/store owner/distributor will net you waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more ROI...aka...$$$$$ .... than 5000 packets of hot sauce in gas stations.
 
 
 
and still again.... just my thoughts....
 
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Some of the car shows I go to have thousands of people pouring through the show fields.  Literally.  Some of the bigger events allow sponsors to include literature or samples in the goody bags for pre-registered entrants.
 
These bags are handed out as they arrive at the show the day of, or the day before.  One show had over 30,000 visitors and closer to 2500 cars.
 
I can get a booth in the concourse at some of these shows, but there's no way to reach all 30,000.  Not saying I need 30,000 packets but pre-reg is usually around the 500-1000 mark.  This means I have the ability to include a business card, propaganda and sample.
 
Most car owners / showers will be cleaning their cars all morning, but around lunch time or after judging they wander around the concourse after going through their goody bags.  Association by the sample and then seeing the booth whilst walking about may pay off.
 
Last year I went to 14 car shows and took notes on most of them on behavioral patterns of spectators, specs with kids, entrants, judges and random people.  I hung around a few of the shops that stuffed junk like cleaning product samples and wipes, coupons and what not and most of them were like "Oh yeah I saw your stuff in the bag when I got here, looks good.  I tried it on (window, car, tire, etc) what was that/do you have more of that etc.  I also want to capture this.  These are bored, hungry people walking around with their families, kids, or waiting for the awards and have cash in hand from the entry fee and to buy tee-shirts and whatever.  It's disposable.  I've seen people blow $20 in singles at the end of shows on stickers and random crap because it's in their wallet.  Edit: they took the cash and end up with singles they don't want to carry around.  Bazaar but it's what I overhear.
 
This could be one of those ways.  These people are there anyway with money in hand.
 
Edit: MANY of the people arrive in groups and have picnics / grills / lunch already in hand.  Especially car clubs.

Edit2: Demograhic age range is usually 18 - 35 for the newer or import cars, 30-60 for the classics.

------------
 
Anyway I was in general curious as the the poll data of packet vs mini woozy for travel viability.  What would you give to someone while driving around eating in a minivan as they drove from their house to vacation spot with the kids in the car?  Eating on the go, etc.
 
 
All this is brainstorm for R&D.
 
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I'm not arguing that it's a good way to get your product into people's hands or not. Obviously it is - you're giving it to them. What they do with it is another story.

It's a scattershot approach. And I question it's efficacy and return on investment.

Since you're into numbers, consider these:
Maybe 30% of people like spicy food. Maybe that's higher among car guys, but I doubt it's enough to move the needle. That means 6-7 of every 10 samples you give out goes into the garbage.

You also can't predict the heat level preference of those folks who do like hot sauce. Some will only be able to handle your most mild (2-3/10) while for others 8/10 it's hot enough. If you go 5/10, half the folks will think it's too hot and half the folks will think it isn't hot enough. Maybe 10% will be in the Goldilocks zone (just right). And that's true regardless of what product you choose to give away - you're giving people 1 thing to judge your company by. And if they don't like it for any reason it's now done more harm than good.

Out of the 10%, how many will like your flavor profile? Let's say 8% assuming you make awesome sauce. Great! Now they will go buy it! Oh, wait - they won't because they just got it for free. So where is the call to action from this marketing?

With this approach you're not actively selling it - you're passively giving it away. There's no communication like, "hey, hot sauce fan? Come try some! How hot do you like it? Here, try this..." as with tabling hot sauce where you can customize a sample to the tastes of the customer - the customer who's there because they like spicy food and have interest in your product.

For the money you're going to spend on samples in gift bags it seems like there are far better marketing hooks you could employ.

But hey, maybe I'm wrong - please report back your results as I'm interested in hearing how it goes, and then later whether it results in any sales. :cheers:
 
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spysee said:
What do you think about using the packets as giveaways when someone actually buys your sauce, someone buys flavor x and you give them a packet of y?
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If you have the means to produce a limited run of packets, go for it. All the power to you. Great for selling other varieties of sauce.

But if not, you're gonna be making/giving away a lot of packets .
 
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Def!
cholula_packet.jpg

 
You can SELL those to restaurants that do take-out, as well as use as samples. I used to go to a place that had them. Imagine seeing your fave sauce in those at a burger joint ,and you get one with the ketchup. Just kinda cool.
 
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I'm not sure how to answer your poll either way, you have too many options.
Overall I would say the masses would dig the packets, I myself would like a quart size bottle... in my fridge.
 
Kalitarios said:
For TRAVEL and SAMPLE purposes...
"TRAVEL" would obviously be the woozy, "SAMPLE" would obviously be the packet.
 
 
..which vessel is more ideal for customers to manage for events such as picnics, traveling on a boat, eating in a car, on a train, at your kid's soccer game, in a lunchbox or bagged lunch,
No to glass bottles for any of these, especially on a boat or near the pool.
 
 
on-the-go in general and convenience?
I would prefer the woozy.
 
 
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