Giveaways, the Key to Getting Back

Companies are taking a lesson from the old adage that sometimes it’s better to give than to receive. Giveaways, often linked to national events that are themselves already in the public conscious, have begun to generate serious buzz within the online sphere. In fact, the mere mention of one of these limited time offers creates noticeable spikes in the amount of times a participating business’ name is searched and that’s before any free transaction even takes place. Add in the increased foot traffic as potential customers flock to stores in the hopes of getting a sample of the featured product or service and the incentive to buy additional items rises as well. An equation that makes a great deal of sense for these companies considering the amount of “free” marketing they’re receiving for such a small initial outlay.

A sample from Tuesday’s election day tie-ins:

On Google Trends, 10 of Google’s top 100 hot search terms are looking for free election swag. Who’s getting all that traffic?

• “Starbucks free coffee” is the 23rd fastest-rising search term of the day and “starbucks election” is 79.
• “Chick Fil A” is number 6 and “chickfila” is number 58 (they’re giving away free chicken sandwiches)
• “Ben and Jerrys” is number 16 (free ice cream)
• “Krispy Kreme locations” is number 25 (free donuts)
• “Shanes Rib Shack” is number 29 (free meal, but only to first 300 customers at “participating stores”)
• And generally, “free stuff for voting” is 17, “free stuff on election day” is 51, and “freebies for voting” is 66

[via Silicon Alley Insider]