College Sampling to Promote New Product Launch

As Chamberlain Coffee prepared to launch new flavors of their popular Ready To Drink lattes to meet consumer demands, they recognized the pivotal role of college campuses in building anticipation for the new product. To leverage this, Chamberlain Coffee partnered with Home From College to establish its first college sampling program, enlisting over 30 ambassadors nationwide. These ambassadors were entrusted with 7,200 cans to share with their college communities and build excitement around this new product. 

Over 1,200 students from across the country applied to join the Chamberlain Coffee campus team, sharing why they loved the brand and pitching sampling strategies they would use to distribute hundreds of cans. Of all the applicants, 30 students were selected to participate in this competitive ambassador program. They came from diverse schools and backgrounds, ranging from Greek life members of large state schools like UT Austin and the University of Michigan to freshmen at smaller liberal arts colleges like Hampton University. 

From December 2023 to February 2024, ambassadors handed out thousands of cans to students during relevant moments, such as in the library while studying for finals, during club end-of-semester wrap-up meetings, and on the quad on sunny days. Ambassadors were given two shipments of products so students on campus could sample them multiple times, helping to build buy-in and increase their motivation to purchase the cans at their local Walmart. 

As sampling moments occurred throughout the winter, many students and clubs created organic user-generated content, showcasing where to get the product and highlighting how much the students loved the new ready-to-drink lattes. 

Ultimately, Chamberlain distributed 7,200 cans on 22 college campuses across 12 states and partnered with more than 50 clubs and Greek life organizations. Chamberlain showed their most loyal customers, Gen Zers, that they understood their need for a convenient and aesthetic source of caffeine during stressful college moments and were trusted partners of college communities.