Giveaway Marketing

Free giveaways have long been used by retailers to draw consumers to a sales site for one reason -- they work! Consumers love to get something for nothing, even if they have no use for it. Giveaway marketing remains as popular today as it ever was, especially with car dealerships, malls and electronics stores.

Giveaway marketing is the practice of advertising to consumers in advance that if they visit the sales site, they will receive a freebie or discount just for showing up. Sometimes the giveaways are limited to a certain number of visitors, for example, the first 500 people. Other giveaways are confined to specific times of the day, for example, only from 9:00 a.m. until noon.

Retailers use giveaway marketing to promote big sales. Once online spiele consumers are on the premises, they are likely to make a purchase. And with a sale going on, consumers are likely to check out the deals, if only to see what's on sale and for how much.

One of the reasons giveaway marketing is so successful is that it gets people excited. Consumers feel like they are invited to a party. Giveaway advertising is generally high-energy and exciting, so consumers get excited too. Car dealerships offer free hot dogs, and consumers stop by just to get a free lunch. Kids enjoy these giveaways, especially if they involve free food or t-shirts. But adults love them too. If they didn't, retailers wouldn't bother to use them.

The tradition of Black Friday in the US is an example of massive giveaway marketing. Black Friday shopping usually involves discounted items as opposed to free ones, but the giveaway concept remains the same. Consumers receive massive discounts that often include free items with multiple purchases. The success of this strategy is reflected in the name "Black Friday." The name came from the retail premise that stores would be "in the black" (or in profit mode), at least for that day.