I love getting free samples. When I go to the mail box and find a bar of soap or an ink pen, I notice that piece of mail while the other advertisements are thrown out. Freebies in my mailbox are an unexpected gift!
The truth is I may not have found some of the products I use today, had it not been for that free sample I received years ago. Shampoo, vitamins, sweeteners all were introduced to me by way of a sample. Even the dog food I received as a sample when adopting my dog became her favorite food. Samples gotten in the mail or marketplace has influenced my shopping habits.
My favorite deli is Zabar’s. It is a great deli in New York. They have so many free sample stations that you could practically have lunch without buying anything. So what was the one deli I visited the last time I was in New York? You guessed it, Zabar’s! How did I discover they had so many products I liked? Those wonderful freebies scattered through the store.
Many computer companies got their start by giving away their products. AOL had a great campaign years ago where they sent everyone a free internet browser as a sample. They packaged their disk in a cute little metal tin. They made getting online very simple, and of course sent them all through AOL. So many people were introduced to the internet because of that free disk; it put AOL on the map.
I see a freebie as a winning situation for both consumer and manufacturer. We all love to receive freebies and companies want you to try their new product. They know that spending thousands on samples is a small investment compared to the millions they will receive in purchases. Enjoy your samples!