If something is "free with the purchase of something else", is it really free?

One of my biggest marketing hurdles to date:

If I offer "SERVICE A" free with the purchase of "SERVICE B", is "SERVICE A" really free at all?

What's the best way to market this type of situation..

Because if you market "SERVICE A" for free, then people see a "catch" when they're expected to purchase "SERVICE B" in order to get "SERVICE A" for free.

It's kinda like when you go to a tire store and they say FREE TIRES, buy 2 tires and get 2 free..are those tires really free?, no cause you can't just go to the store and pick you up some tires for free and be on your way..but doesn't that scratch the surface of false advertising by saying something is free if there's a catch?

Any takers on this debate?..lol

(And no I'm not giving away tires..lol)

 

Consider it 50% off.

 

You can't consider it 50% off because if you went into the tire store and said "I don't want the two extra tires" they won't mark the first two down by 50% you would still be paying the full price. As too whether or not something is free if it's tied to another purchase, that's a semantic argument that probably won't go very far

 

Totally FREE does not sounds good to me as like other folks mentioned here. Giving some percentage off make it look more professional, I think. Giving it totally free make it look like it got no value!

 

What if the item they are getting for free REQUIRES what they will have to pay for? The two items go hand in hand. Is that more confusing?..

I mean, no matter how you say it, I guess it's misleading, which is what I don't want it to be... How do you offer something to someone you know will benifit them that is actually NOT a scam, but they're so "scammed out" from all the crap they're dealt that they question every offer that might benifit them.

The marketing angle is just too confusing to offer something for free with the purchase of something else..it just says scam all over it, whether it is or not..it's cursed..lol

 

This is very true..i never looked at it that way..

 

No it is not. Free, by definition means without cost. There is really no such thing as 'but 1 get 1 free' - it is a misleading tactic. When I say that free means without cost I am not just talking about money. The cost could be anything that you have to give in return for the so called free item.

It even irks me when members here post offers such as free backlink with a reciprocal. If you provide a recip then it is NOT a free link

 

of course they are free...

either buy 4 tires and pay
$400 at store a

or buy 2 tires and get 2 free

still 4 tires, but only $200 at store b with the special


its free for as long as its something that normally would have to be purchased

"free cup of water with meal" is not a big deal, becasue it was already free

Its not the fact of purchase, its the fact you are getting something EXTRA with purchase.

50% off is what most consumers say it "really" is...but it is not. Its more than that from a biz perspective

tires cost the store is the out of pocket, plus lost profit...which balances out a lot different than 50%

 

free means without cost FOR THE ITEM...it has nothing to do with related or reciprical items.

The ICE is free in your sode...even though you had to pay for the soda. Because you don't get charged for ice.

the cup, lid and straw also.

Now some will say it is rolled into the profit...but it is not. Those items are eaten up as ancillary COGS.

the bottom line is...whether an additional purchase is made/required or not...if you did not PAY for it...it is FREE

 

So what would be the proper way to market this situation? Would you market the item you have to purchase and say with the purchase of "A" you will receive "B" or would you say you will recieve "B" with the purchase of "A"?

Obviously the goal would be to not mislead people..

 

So what kind of advertising would make you less urked when someone has this kind of offer for you?

 

I've made some good money marketing "free*" products. The * identifies the shipping and handling charges, but still the products were a good value.

There is no legal problem marketing "service a" as free, providing consumers are given the opportunity to see that "service a" is free with the purchase of "service b." There are a lot of examples of this. Shoe stores advertising buy one get one free, free upgrade, etc.

Without knowing the product or service, it would be hard to tell which pitch would work better. But if you really don't want to mislead people, then the best way to pitch it is "buy service a and get service b for free! This is a limited time offer and available to the first x number of orders. Order today!" Some people get upset with the "*" and the fine print.

Good luck

 

There is a cost associate with almost everything. Even if it is only time... Something that I consider very valuable.

 

IN guerrilla marketing we teach to stay away from the asterisk...people see it as a scam the "small" print

instead try a parenthesis

example

Full Color Postcards only 5¢ each*

*with purchase of 5000


seems more "pitchy" than

Full Color Postcards only 5¢ each
(order of 5000)

parenthesis is more of an "aside" saying "oh, and by the way"


as far as whether you emphasize the free first or second, depends on your marketing plan.

What is the product..what is offered for free.

Usually you lead with the free, unless the free is more of the product.

FREE IPOD

with every purchase of the Web Marketing Manual

or

Buy 500 business cards, get an additional 500 FREE!

 

Which is another point..The service you get for free is worth ALOT more than what you have to purchase in order to get the free service...so there should be 545235 knocking down my marketing door, but they are not, because they see 'free', but theres a catch, so it goes south..

 

try explaining "the catch" of course there is one

explain how you are able to do it, when no one else can

explain your motivation behind doing it

 

I'll do that..I've been pretty successful, but it's always good to come at it with a new approach, and the last thing I want to do is mislead people. If even one person would concider it 'not free', then I have to change it up.

 

free....is well...free

there are nitpickers who will complain about anything they get a chance too...i don't worry about those people...they don't buy much

 

I would say the first item was the payment for the second item

 

but it's not

the first item has a value, and a price for sale

the second item has a value and a price for sale

you are charged for the FIRST ITEM and NOT the second

free=no payment


free...is free