HEATHER JOHNSON & AL SCHUSTER: SAMPLE FINDER / LETS PLAY A GAME / IS RETAIL ACTUALLY DYING

·50 min·3 clips

Al Schuster says SampleFinder began after a DC store made him realize 90% of shoppers never saw the demo.

1. Fell Into Food Podcast centers this HEATHER JOHNSON & AL SCHUSTER episode on SampleFinder, Polaris Brand Promotions, and in-store food sampling. 2. Heather Johnson is the marketing director at Polaris Brand Promotions, and Al Schuster is the founder of Polaris Brand Promotions and SampleFinder, which matters because they built the app from the staffing side. 3. The episode asks whether SampleFinder can make samples, demos, and retail visits more useful for shoppers and brands. 4. Heather says she studied graphic design and marketing, freelanced for agencies around Philadelphia, and worked as a brand ambassador for more than 15 years. 5. Al says he earned a BS in accounting from St. Joe's University in 2001 and later shifted into promo staffing after helping with liquor promotions. 6. Al describes Polaris Brand Promotions as a nationwide promo staffing agency with more than 9,600 independent contractors in its database. 7. Heather says experiential marketing matters because she explains logos, company history, products, and brand identity directly to consumers. 8. Al says most of the agency's work is in-store demos, but the team also works product launches, tailgating parking lots, parades, and city tours. 9. Heather says she was hired by Al as a brand ambassador, later worked part time, and became marketing director a year ago. 10. Al says SampleFinder came from a grocery store demo in Washington, DC with a difficult layout and three entrances. 11. Al says that store visit made him realize that about 90% of shoppers never saw the sampling table. 12. Heather says the app started as a concept that grew after Al ran it by her as his creative partner. 13. Heather says SampleFinder lists activating brands, events, giveaways, and sample opportunities in a user's area. 14. Heather says users can check in, earn points, leave recaps, and send direct feedback about taste, packaging, and product experience. 15. Al says brands using Polaris staffing get their corresponding sampling events on SampleFinder for free. 16. Al says brands can use the feedback to build campaigns such as sending a coupon every three months to people who rated a product at least four out of five stars. 17. Al says the team is launching under the hashtag save retail because online delivery and kiosks could shrink the supermarket experience. 18. Heather says the goal is to make shopping feel like discovery instead of a chore, especially for products that need shelf visibility. 19. Listeners interested in retail activation, brand sampling, and consumer feedback will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting celebrity gossip or recipe instruction can probably skip it.

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