We have all heard the expression that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Yet, many large and small companies give away millions of dollars worth of freebies every year. This begs the question, why do they do it?
There are a few reasons why companies choose to give away free samples or trials of their products but they all turn out to uphold the old saying: there really is no such thing as a (totally) free lunch. The very simple answer is that companies give away free samples to increase their sales and (hopefully) in turn profits.
Now you may wonder how giving away something for free can increase sales, let alone profits. Obviously, in the short run these types of promotions negatively affect the bottom line of most companies that employ them. However, the hope is that in the long run the free sample or free trial offer will get people to pay to use the product.
These promotions are most commonly used to promote a brand new product or service that people have never tried before. The classic example is cigarettes, which were often given away in the United States to get people to switch to smoking them instead of using other forms of tobacco. This is probably the most successful example of this type of promotion (especially given the addictive nature of the product) but there are literally thousand of examples of this type of promotion used successfully over the years.
You have probably seen and tried many of promotions before. Think of the last time you were at the grocery store of how many free food and drink samples were offered to you. Another example are magazine subscription offers that will give you a free 4-week trial to their magazine. The goal in all these cases is to get you to start using and paying for their product on a regular basis.
A second reason why companies give away free samples, which is very similar to the first, is to get you to switch from one brand of a product to another. For example Pepsi may give out free samples to try to get you to switch from drinking Coke to their product. The goal here is not only to increase sales of Pepsi or any other product but also to hurt sales of a rival product as well. Again, these types of promotions are also very common.
Finally, there is a third and more sinister reason why companies may offer free trials or samples of product or services. Often third parties will offer a chance to win or get something for free to capture marketing information about you. They will then sell the information to interested markets so they can send you unsolicited offers.
These types of offers are especially common on the internet so be aware of them. You can usually spot this offers because they are often too good to be true. If you really think someone is going to give you an iPod just for entering your zip code or e-mail address you deserve to get the resulting marketing solicitations.
Thus, as you can see there a few reasons why companies give away free samples of their products. The overriding one, of course, is to make more money for themselves in the long run. Also, you should be somewhat skeptical about some of these offers, especially if they seem a little too good. However, the vast majority are legitimate marketing promotions. And while there is no such thing as a free lunch, you can get a free snack or two from your local grocery store courtesy of companies free food samples. Who knows maybe you will find something you really like.
About the Author
Ian Wright is a recent university graduate who knows the value of getting things for free. He currently runs a Free Samples Newsletter as well as Blog about New Free Samples.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Can I Get a Free iPod? - Part 1
I am sure if you are reading this first part of the two part article that you have seen tons of offers for free iPods or more recently iPhones or many other related electronic devices. If you have not signed up for any of these offers you may be wondering if they are legitimate or not. If you have you signed up for one you may be wondering how you can stop the flood of e-mails that arrive in your inbox everyday.
Before I can answer either question we should first look at why companies would want to give you a free iPod in the first place. The simple answer is that they want to give you a "free" iPod because they can make money doing it. This may seem counterintuitive, so let me explain.
The way most of these offers work is that they first ask you for your e-mail address or zip code to see if you qualify. Not surprisingly everyone who lives in the United States qualifies and sometimes people living in Canada, Australia or the UK may qualify as well. The catch is that to get your iPod you have to complete a few promotional offers from their sponsors, as well as, get five of your friends to do the same.
Now this still may seem like a good deal, who cares if you have to spend $20 or $30 to complete the offers, it is still way less than the $150 for a brand new iPod nano. However, the problem lies in the fact that five of your friends also have to complete the offers. The obvious result of this is, is a classic pyramid scheme, where only a few people at the top will ever see their iPod. At some point it will be impossible to find five friends who are also interested in a free iPod who have not already signed up for this kind of offer.
The companies giving away free iPods make money from these offers in three ways. First, and most obviously these companies will go and sell the e-mail and other information you provided to other marketing firms that will send you more advertisements through e-mail, direct mail or telemarketing. Second, the iPod offering company gets money from the promotions you must complete. They usually make between $10 and $30 per completed promotional offer from the advertiser, who in turn hopes to make money by having you continue using their product or service after the promotional period has ended.
Finally, the company makes money from all the promotions your friends complete as well. This becomes especially lucrative once the pyramid has become sufficiently large enough. To see an example why as well as tips to make the most of this bad situation please read part 2 of this article.
About the Author
Ian Wright is a recent university graduate who knows the value of getting things for free. He currently has a list of his top 10 Best Free Samples a as well as a New Free Samples Blog.
Before I can answer either question we should first look at why companies would want to give you a free iPod in the first place. The simple answer is that they want to give you a "free" iPod because they can make money doing it. This may seem counterintuitive, so let me explain.
The way most of these offers work is that they first ask you for your e-mail address or zip code to see if you qualify. Not surprisingly everyone who lives in the United States qualifies and sometimes people living in Canada, Australia or the UK may qualify as well. The catch is that to get your iPod you have to complete a few promotional offers from their sponsors, as well as, get five of your friends to do the same.
Now this still may seem like a good deal, who cares if you have to spend $20 or $30 to complete the offers, it is still way less than the $150 for a brand new iPod nano. However, the problem lies in the fact that five of your friends also have to complete the offers. The obvious result of this is, is a classic pyramid scheme, where only a few people at the top will ever see their iPod. At some point it will be impossible to find five friends who are also interested in a free iPod who have not already signed up for this kind of offer.
The companies giving away free iPods make money from these offers in three ways. First, and most obviously these companies will go and sell the e-mail and other information you provided to other marketing firms that will send you more advertisements through e-mail, direct mail or telemarketing. Second, the iPod offering company gets money from the promotions you must complete. They usually make between $10 and $30 per completed promotional offer from the advertiser, who in turn hopes to make money by having you continue using their product or service after the promotional period has ended.
Finally, the company makes money from all the promotions your friends complete as well. This becomes especially lucrative once the pyramid has become sufficiently large enough. To see an example why as well as tips to make the most of this bad situation please read part 2 of this article.
About the Author
Ian Wright is a recent university graduate who knows the value of getting things for free. He currently has a list of his top 10 Best Free Samples a as well as a New Free Samples Blog.
How can I get free ringtones? - Part 2
Welcome to the second part of this two part series on ways to get free ringtones for your cell phone. In this section I explain using the internet to find ringtones and what to watch out for.
There is one final way to find free cell phone ringtones if the tactics in the first part of the article are not available to you. Simply use the internet. Just do a search on Google or any other leading search engine for free ringtones. I know you will find many results but there are a few things to be careful about before using this method.
The first thing to make sure about is whether or not the website you are using is legal or not. There are many websites claiming to away free ringtones but they may be doing so illegally so be careful, because you may get in trouble with the law for using such a service. Also, some of these sites will attempt to install Spyware or Adware when you download the ringtones. Thus, I strongly discourage you from using these for that reason but I can't tell you what to do, so it is up to you to decide.
However, there is a second kind of website that you should also be extremely careful about. These websites claim to offer free, bonus or complimentary ringtones and are on the whole legitimate services. However, when you sign-up for the free ringtones you will usually also be signed up for some form of monthly service, billed to your monthly cell phone bill. If you download a lot of ringtones, these services can actually be a good deal. For the rest of you they probably aren't, so be careful.
Some of them will let you cancel before you actually have to pay anything. Thus, you can sometimes download the ringtones and then cancel the service without paying anything. However, not all service will allow you to do this so read the fine print and ask about anything you are not sure of before paying anything.
One final word of caution, many websites offering free ringtones are aimed at children. This has lead to laws do not allow ringtone download sites to use the word free in their advertising. Instead they use terms such "bonus ringtone" or "complimentary ringtone." Let your children know that these websites may not be legitimate and to ask you before downloading anything, and of course keep that in mind for yourself too.
Well I think that about sums up the most common and easiest ways to get free ringtones. As I showed there are many ways to get free ringtones, but each of them may only work for specific kinds of people. Just be sure to do your homework before signing-up for any ringtone offer be it through, a cell phone company, third party promotion or the internet.
About the Author
Ian Wright is a recent university graduate who knows the value of getting things for free. He currently runs a New Free Samples Blog as well as a Free Samples Forum.
There is one final way to find free cell phone ringtones if the tactics in the first part of the article are not available to you. Simply use the internet. Just do a search on Google or any other leading search engine for free ringtones. I know you will find many results but there are a few things to be careful about before using this method.
The first thing to make sure about is whether or not the website you are using is legal or not. There are many websites claiming to away free ringtones but they may be doing so illegally so be careful, because you may get in trouble with the law for using such a service. Also, some of these sites will attempt to install Spyware or Adware when you download the ringtones. Thus, I strongly discourage you from using these for that reason but I can't tell you what to do, so it is up to you to decide.
However, there is a second kind of website that you should also be extremely careful about. These websites claim to offer free, bonus or complimentary ringtones and are on the whole legitimate services. However, when you sign-up for the free ringtones you will usually also be signed up for some form of monthly service, billed to your monthly cell phone bill. If you download a lot of ringtones, these services can actually be a good deal. For the rest of you they probably aren't, so be careful.
Some of them will let you cancel before you actually have to pay anything. Thus, you can sometimes download the ringtones and then cancel the service without paying anything. However, not all service will allow you to do this so read the fine print and ask about anything you are not sure of before paying anything.
One final word of caution, many websites offering free ringtones are aimed at children. This has lead to laws do not allow ringtone download sites to use the word free in their advertising. Instead they use terms such "bonus ringtone" or "complimentary ringtone." Let your children know that these websites may not be legitimate and to ask you before downloading anything, and of course keep that in mind for yourself too.
Well I think that about sums up the most common and easiest ways to get free ringtones. As I showed there are many ways to get free ringtones, but each of them may only work for specific kinds of people. Just be sure to do your homework before signing-up for any ringtone offer be it through, a cell phone company, third party promotion or the internet.
About the Author
Ian Wright is a recent university graduate who knows the value of getting things for free. He currently runs a New Free Samples Blog as well as a Free Samples Forum.
How to Get a Free PlayStation 3
In a fury, the public greeted the latest craze in gaming consoles as the Playstation 3 hit the entertainment world. Through a series of huge Sony marketing schemes, you could not go anywhere without hearing or feeling the anticipation for a product that promised better graphics, color, sound, and other exciting features. The popularity of the Playstation 3 also made it possible for Ebay resellers and independent retailers to markup the price of owning one of these units, especially in time for the Christmas season.
The desire to get a hold of this popular gaming console drove the public deeper into their pockets, so when the chance to obtain a free Playstation comes about, many will jump at the opportunity. To further the interest in the Playstation 3, Sony held a slew of local and national promotions offered both on the Internet and offline. Others caught on to this particular idea as a way to tap into a lucrative goldmine, offering their own giveaways. Below, you will find some of the ways people may acquire a Playstation at no cost:
RadioDisc jockeys use promotional giveaways as a common technique to keep radio fans listening. If you periodically check your favorite radio station, you may find a contest involving Playstation 3. For country, jazz, or classical music fans, you might want to linger a bit on radio stations geared towards pop, rock, and hip-hop, which are more likely to offer a free Playstation as an incentive.
TelevisionNews stations often offer giveaways for loyal viewers. It never hurts to see what type of contest or promotional gimmick they are using to increase viewer-ship. Don't feel like catching the news? Pay a visit to their website where contests are also advertised. Most often, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire in order to participate.
InternetAlthough there are numerous websites offering a chance to win a free Playstation through a variety of promotional giveaways, it is important to check the legitimacy of sites. There are tons of impostors, who wish to gain your personal information and will do anything to lure you to the bait. Offering a Playstation at no cost is just the thing to tempt the unsuspecting.
Charities & FundraisingSome students have been able to win fun items, such as a free Playstation when participating in fundraising and other charity functions. Whether it is selling the most Girl Scout cookies or collecting the highest amount of canned food, some organizations offer prizes for the most productive participants.
Giveaways Malls, department stores, and especially electronic stores are known for giving away popular gifts or products through a wide range of contests. Sometimes kiosks situated in a store or shopping mall will capture the attention of the public, enticing them to fill out forms for a prize drawing. Since the Playstation 3 is such a popular entertainment system, the chances of encountering such an offer are pretty high.
Participation Reward On the Internet, there are many opportunities to win prizes through participation. For instance, when you fill out a survey, your personal information can be entered into a prize raffle or drawing. Some websites will increase the number of times your name is entered into a giveaway according to the total amount of surveys you fill out.
With so many places to get your hands on a free playstation, you should go out there and try your luck.
About the Author
Kelvin Ho runs his PlayStation site at http://myplaystation.info. Don't have a good cd ripper or psp video converter? You can learn more about both at http://myplaystation.info/pspblender.html How to Get a Free PlayStation 3
The desire to get a hold of this popular gaming console drove the public deeper into their pockets, so when the chance to obtain a free Playstation comes about, many will jump at the opportunity. To further the interest in the Playstation 3, Sony held a slew of local and national promotions offered both on the Internet and offline. Others caught on to this particular idea as a way to tap into a lucrative goldmine, offering their own giveaways. Below, you will find some of the ways people may acquire a Playstation at no cost:
RadioDisc jockeys use promotional giveaways as a common technique to keep radio fans listening. If you periodically check your favorite radio station, you may find a contest involving Playstation 3. For country, jazz, or classical music fans, you might want to linger a bit on radio stations geared towards pop, rock, and hip-hop, which are more likely to offer a free Playstation as an incentive.
TelevisionNews stations often offer giveaways for loyal viewers. It never hurts to see what type of contest or promotional gimmick they are using to increase viewer-ship. Don't feel like catching the news? Pay a visit to their website where contests are also advertised. Most often, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire in order to participate.
InternetAlthough there are numerous websites offering a chance to win a free Playstation through a variety of promotional giveaways, it is important to check the legitimacy of sites. There are tons of impostors, who wish to gain your personal information and will do anything to lure you to the bait. Offering a Playstation at no cost is just the thing to tempt the unsuspecting.
Charities & FundraisingSome students have been able to win fun items, such as a free Playstation when participating in fundraising and other charity functions. Whether it is selling the most Girl Scout cookies or collecting the highest amount of canned food, some organizations offer prizes for the most productive participants.
Giveaways Malls, department stores, and especially electronic stores are known for giving away popular gifts or products through a wide range of contests. Sometimes kiosks situated in a store or shopping mall will capture the attention of the public, enticing them to fill out forms for a prize drawing. Since the Playstation 3 is such a popular entertainment system, the chances of encountering such an offer are pretty high.
Participation Reward On the Internet, there are many opportunities to win prizes through participation. For instance, when you fill out a survey, your personal information can be entered into a prize raffle or drawing. Some websites will increase the number of times your name is entered into a giveaway according to the total amount of surveys you fill out.
With so many places to get your hands on a free playstation, you should go out there and try your luck.
About the Author
Kelvin Ho runs his PlayStation site at http://myplaystation.info. Don't have a good cd ripper or psp video converter? You can learn more about both at http://myplaystation.info/pspblender.html How to Get a Free PlayStation 3
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