Norwegian publisher Amedia leveraged a partnership with a home delivery service to integrate product sampling into its distribution strategy for advertisers.

In an INMA Ideas blog Amedia strategic adviser Monika Sveen tells how the combination of native advertising with product sampling resulted in a 101 per cent sales increase for one advertiser.

“Staying ahead of the curve is paramount in news publishing and the ever-evolving advertising landscape,” she says.

Facing an increasingly competitive advertising market – particularly when it comes to attracting and retaining retail and e-commerce advertisers – Amedia found the new collaboration gave it a competitive edge.

Amedia reaches more than two million readers through its network of local news sites and the national news site Nettavisen, making it Norway’s largest local news publisher. Importantly, the publisher ecosystem and offline distribution network include partial ownership of logistics company Helt Hjem.

“Seeing an opportunity to leverage our combined strengths, Amedia partnered with Helt Hjem to create a game-changing advertising product that would resonate with advertisers and readers alike,” says Sveen.

“The strategy was simple yet ingenious: integrate product sampling into the distribution strategy for advertisers.

According to research, 73 per cent of consumers said that product samples would induce them to try to use an unfamiliar brand or product, and 24 per cent of customers replaced a planned purchase with a sample product they tried.” (Source: Inspira Marketing)

Sveen says Amedia’s native advertising studio, Amedia Innholdsbyrå, tells captivating brand stories and allows readers to order product samples delivered to their homes. “So Amedia created a seamless experience that has proven to drive brand awareness and consideration for our advertisers,” she says.

The strategy has been a resounding success. Advertisers and media agencies are embracing the new product, while readers are showing increased engagement with the native ads.

One success story is Lumene – a leading beauty brand in the Finnish and Swedish markets – which sought to expand its customer base in Norway, having more Norwegian women testing their beauty products and driving brand lift.

Throughout the year, Lumene has become one of Amedia’s retaining advertiser clients in a segment in which Amedia had seen little revenue in prior years.

“The results have been outstanding,” Sveen says. “In Lumene’s latest campaign, 53 per cent said they would definitely purchase the product after reading about it and testing it at home, and 46 per cent said they would most likely purchase the product. Overall, Lumene gained a total brand lift of 42.5 per cent.

“Lumene’s presence in Amedia’s news sites throughout the year supported the growth of Lumene in Norway and bottom-line results. In 2023, the company saw a 101 per cent rise in sales compared to 2022.

“As well as securing Amedia long-term advertising revenue from advertisers, this advertising product combining native advertising with product sampling has increased value for both our advertisers and our readers,” she says.

“Now, we hope more news publishers across the globe will take learning from our case and seek advertising opportunities within their existing publisher ecosystem.”