By Bernard Martin
​There are the several types of packaging that really lend themselves to use on an onsert card. This includes Stick Packs, Foil Pouches & Sachets and Tube Samples.  If you are in need to connecting with companies to place your samples in insert ready packaging, just drop us a note and we'll help you out!

First introduced in 1996, stick packaging has gained popularity all over the world. Stick pack has opened a new market for portable, single-serve, packaging which allows producers to maximize marketing space and give consumers a more eco-friendly and easy to use alternative to traditional bulk-serve packaging. Stick packs have a fin seal which runs from top to bottom on the back of the pouch with a horizontal seal on either end.

It’s called stick packaging because it’s long, narrow, cylindrical shape resembles a stick. Many consumer products including vitamin drinks, pre-workout, recover, electrolyte drinks, or instant coffee. Even cosmetic products can be packaged in stick packaging. Stick packs are ideal for trial or sample size products on an onsert card!

From shampoos to flower seeds, a foil pouch or sachet.  Typically used as a single-serving quantity, these packages are durable and provide a great barrier to moisture and oxygen. Foil pouches provide your products with superior protection and can many times allow for substantially longer shelf life. There is  a wide range of material options available for our sachet packaging and they are perfect for snacks, cosmetics, nutritional products,  vitamins, medical products, hair care products supplements and more.

Samples are an efficient means to make consumers test new beauty products and influence their purchase decisions; all product categories are concerned, including makeup. In a recent study, The NPD Group found that one in five makeup users have received a makeup sample in the past year. Even the relatively new sample subscription programs are proving efficient.

Making consumers pay for samples may pays off long-term for manufacturers and retailers. Actually, among women who subscribe to makeup sample subscription programs, 83 per cent were influenced to buy the full-sized product, according to the 2014 Makeup In-Depth Consumer Report, The NPD Group from The NPD Group.
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“The idea of offering samples has been around for some time, but sample subscription programs are a fresh way for manufacturers and retailers to engage with interested consumers and monetize their sample programs, while consumers discover brands or products they may not have been aware of previously,” said Karen Grant, Vice President and Global Beauty Industry Analyst, The NPD Group. “Women strive to find a makeup product that works for them, and when they do, that is the primary reason they become loyal to it.”

Most women like to self-test products without pressure, and samples give them that ability. Take home samples are the second most popular makeup shopping preference, over things like salesperson explanation and personal consultation, but retailers are finding new ways to incorporate samples into the shopping, and even purchasing, experience. According to the market research firm, one in five makeup users have received a makeup sample in the past year, primarily from retailers (17%).

“Sample subscriptions are still relatively small in their reach, but their potential impact on the makeup industry is significant. Incorporating this method of product discovery into a marketing and sales strategy can uncover new consumers and expand on target audiences,” added Grant.

Source:  2014 Makeup In-Depth Consumer Report, The NPD Group
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original article can be found at Premium Beauty New