01 - BACKGROUND

Katadyn has long been a trusted name in outdoor water filtration, with its BeFree product line serving as a go-to choice for adventurers around the world. Historically focused on sales, the brand recently expanded its approach, embracing more tools on ExpertVoice to grow brand awareness, clear inventory with limited-time offers and participate in high-impact campaigns like Flash Deals and The Drop.

But when it came time to launch their new BeFree AC bottle, Katadyn recognized the need to do something different: lead with expert reviews.

When you launch a new product with zero reviews, it’s very slow to move. We’d experienced that before at another brand, and we knew we had to come out stronger this time.”

02 - CHALLENGE

Laying the groundwork for a successful launch

Despite being a priority launch, the new BeFree AC had a challenging starting point: no online reviews. And according to Pratt, a key outdoor retail partner had already made it clear that stronger review coverage was essential. Katadyn’s internal team explored various options, including working with retailer influencer networks directly, but couldn’t find a way to generate expert feedback at scale.

They needed trusted voices, high-quality user-generated content and syndicated reviews that would appear on critical retail product page, right where shoppers were making decisions. Jeff noted they, "weren’t just trying to sell the product [on ExpertVoice]—we were presenting it with a full support package to drive revenue.”

03 - SOLUTION

We were blown away by the quality of the applicants. So much so that we ended up doubling the number of testers.”

Each participant received a sample and was encouraged to share a review on ExpertVoice, a product photo, and a public review (on Amazon or social media). But unlike many sampling programs, experts were given time and encouragement to use the product in real-world conditions — from backcountry trips to emergency preparedness — to ensure thoughtful, experience-based feedback. 

ExpertVoice then handled review syndication via Bazaarvoice integration, ensuring that the brand’s most important retail product detail pages (PDPs) were populated with expert-backed content just in time for peak season.

04 - RESULTS

Reviews that moved the needle

And perhaps most impressively? The impact was immediate. "Before the reviews went live, we sold 1,800 units in five months. Then, once the reviews hit, we sold 1,000 units in under two weeks. It was a massive lift." 

This campaign wasn’t just about moving discounted inventory. By syndicating reviews to a major outdoor retailer’s site, Katadyn used ExpertVoice to drive full-price sales beyond the pro-deal channel—and build lasting credibility with outdoor consumers. These reviews and images can now be repurposed across retail, brand marketing and future product launches to extend their value even further.

By Katadyn’s own math, the sampling investment paid off in just one week.

Most marketing spend is hard to measure. But this? We knew exactly what we got for our dollars. It delivered a real return and gave our team a concrete story to tell when selling the product into retail partners.”

CONCLUSION

Looking ahead 

Katadyn is already budgeting for future sampling campaigns—and planning to start earlier next time to ensure reviews are live ahead of key selling seasons. The team is also refining the process and expanding how they repurpose expert content across retail and marketing.

They now view sampling as a powerful tool to build retail confidence, support sell-through across channels, and strengthen sell-in conversations with expert-backed content. Jeff shared that, “This campaign didn’t replace our other selling efforts — it added to them. It was a layer of support that made everything work better.”