Pondering the Truth Behind “Free”

We love the word “free”. To us, “free” implies something that doesn’t come at a cost. Free stuff is great. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

We are a society that thrives on capitalism: there is always something to gain in exchange for something else – which should probably hint that “free” comes with a catch because it wouldn’t exist otherwise. Someone giving stuff away could gain as little as the proud feeling of doing something good. Any less of gain would render that “stuff” as garbage.

Most of us feel great when we get something for free and don’t think twice about why that is so. We don’t stop to wonder how it can be free – since many people would prefer to charge someone for something instead of just handing it out.

I’ve recently run into plenty of situations (that most people can relate to) regarding free stuff that revealed to me the truth behind “free”:

- Good old hand-me-downs
There is this always some fashion look that teenagers will often chase at a certain stage in their young lives. I, too, became a part of this generation that bought an item that (even after 4-5 years) is still popular among teens – in this case, it was a discontinued edition of a popular backpack.

My younger cousin who has entered high school is going through this exact same stage and the backpack is still in style – in fact, he’s been haggling me about giving it to him. Now that I find no significant need for it, I let him have it.

He gets a backpack that makes him “cool”. What did I get?

Nothing tangible, of course. I did get the feeling of doing a good deed (somewhat) and for putting a smile and two seconds of joy on my cousin’s face. Making others happy makes us happy too right? Another perk is uncluttering. It has just been taking up space in my room since I graduated. Giving it away would be one less thing in my room.

- Buy one get one free
Mmm… For some reason, “free” just triggers the inner shopaholic in everyone. Maybe that is why the field of neuromarketing exists – the study of sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective response to marketing stimuli (according to Wikipedia). Despite practically saying the same thing, “buy one get one free” is more likely to induce a shopping spree than “two for the price of one”.

A clothing retailer (as have many stores) was having a sale to prepare inventory space for clothing for the coming spring. The ad stated that jeans were buy-one-get-one-free. Sure. I needed some new jeans so I’ll just pick up two pairs.

I walked out of the store with two pairs of jeans, two shirts, and a hoody. What just happened there?

The two primary goals of their use of “free” was beautifully accomplished as it was able to get me to walk into their store and spend money while my shopping trip helped get rid of out-of-season inventory. Like all other sales and discounts, the intent is to get you to shop, which would lead to spending – and “free” does this with flying colors.

- A free book
Ever gotten something free and you just couldn’t help but gloat and spread the word? And soon, everyone knows about it – such is the power of word-of-mouth. Some companies have realized the skepticism of shoppers and uses “free” to lure in one shopper, who brings in more shoppers, who bring in even more shoppers.

Like many other bloggers out there, I get free stuff so that I can act as a trusted (at least for what it’s worth) middleman with an unbiased (again, I try) voice. So occasionally, I’d get a book, service, or product for free in exchange for an honest review here on Realm of Prosperity.

To us bloggers, having our blogs recognized as a viable avenue for trustworthy opinions is flattering. But, it isn’t necessarily the best deal since a thorough review of any product or service could potentially be worth more money than the value of the free product or service. If Apple gave a few free iPads to the staff of TechCrunch, their review serves as exposure, marketing, and advertising which could drive a huge number of sales. A “free” $500 just bought a dedicated review that one would have charged thousands to write.

Take a Second
So the next time something free comes along, I’d take a second to ponder the benefits to the other party that comes from such a kind gesture. Although I wouldn’t totally disregard that there is a very rare chance that such a generous act could come from a sincere individual – but I tend to be a skeptic.

I think it is safe to say that any commercial entity that’s offering “free” stuff is using it as a marketing tactic. For other situations, it may not be so clear-cut to decipher. That’s right ladies: think twice before accepting that free drink at the bar (guys are going to lash out on me for that one).

(Photo credit: frankh)

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