This blog is in response to an external marketing Blog,
The source can be found HERE.
The blog reflects on the idea of Free. It believes that if things are truly ‘free’, it should come with no strings attached, ‘A gift says; take this, it’s yours.’ Which is different than an incentive offer, which says ‘take this, then do something for me‘.
What is free?
I agree that the definition of free, or gifts, have been somewhat distorted within the last decade. Many things are only FREE with a purchase of something.
For example, take a look at this McDonalds ad. It offers a free burger, however you have to buy one first. Is that really free then?
I believe that there is no such thing as free in this word. What may seem free to you, always has been produced at the expense of others.
As in the external blog, it mentions that once a consumer discovers that what they are being offered is not totally free, with strings attached, they may change their view of the company. That is indeed true, nobody likes being lied to or tricked into doing something.
In the external, Staples was praised for offering a genuinely free item. Yes, the item was indeed free, however it was within the best interest of Staples. Marketers, accountants, financial analysts of the Staples company must have gotten together beforehand and determined that this course of action would lead to a return in greater revenues eventually in the long run.
So What?
A free item that a company offers should be evaluated to determine WHY they are offering the item for free, at the same time, incentive items should not be looked too harshly upon. Sometimes they are the door to great deals and promotions. Nothing in the world is free.