A Marketer’s Nightmare: The Death of FREE

There was a recurring skit on Saturday Night Live years ago, a TV show parody called, “People Who Ruin It for Other People.” Each week, the host would interview guests who had done something to take advantage of someone’s trust and “ruin it for other people.”

To the guy who first drove off without paying for his gas, the exasperated host said, “What you’re saying, then, is that you screwed up and didn’t pay for your gas, so you ruined it for other people. And now we have to pay before we pump? ”

The guest meekly bowed his head and said, “Well…yes.”

The next guest had gone into a restroom and trashed the place, making it so we all have to ask for the key first. And so on. People who ruin it for other people.

I was reminded of that skit when I recently read an article by Doug D’Anna in Clayton Makepeace’s ezine, The Total Package (makepeacetotalpackage.com). In his article, “Why FREE Doesn’t Work Anymore,” D’Anna declares the word FREE officially dead. His reasons: 1) Too many FREE e-zines (and, I might add, ones that are short on value— and full of sales pitches) and 2) the explosion of spam— and with it the consumer’s expectation that we are dangling the FREE carrot so we can get his e-mail address and hit him with frequent, blatant sales messages. I call this the “Businesses That Ruin It for Other Businesses” syndrome.

How else are businesses diluting the power of the word FREE? Deceptive advertising. Today I saw a TV commercial telling me I could get credit reports for FREE. They even had a website with “free credit report” in the name. But, in tiny letters at the top of the screen, it said, “Available when you sign up for the ‘Platinum Program.’

D’Anna suggests that the better strategy, at least in e-marketing, is to cultivate a relationship of trust with the people on your list first. And if you do offer a FREE e-zine in your sales copy, be sure the reader recognizes the value of your e-zine first—in and of itself.

I am still using the word FREE in the sign-up pitch for our weekly marketing e-tips. After all, they are free, with no purchase requirement — and our readers say that they are useful, so they have value. But it certainly gave me something to think about.

How about you? Has the misuse of the word FREE taken away its power as a marketing tool? Are you skeptical when you see it now?

Comments

[Mark Silver]

Hi Judy,

I agree... and don't agree. I believe intention and presence make a huge difference in the effect of language. And the words that are around the word FREE matter.

There is a difference between:

"Sign up immediately for our absolutely FREE bonus special offer ezine that will save you time, money, and preserve you from death- but act now, you'll be doomed!"

Versus

"I don't like to think of any guest leaving empty-handed. Because this is just a website, I can't offer you a bowl of soup or a cup of tea. What I am offering are gifts that have nourished my heart in business, and I hope they nourish yours.

Please fill out the form below and you'll receive both..."
(Taken from my web page to sign up for my free ezine and workbook)

When you put heart and sincerity in it, and say something that's true for you, the word -free- can still mean something.

What do you think?

[Judy Dunn]

Mark,

You are a breath of fresh air. Yes, I agree with you. Put sincerity in, give with the intention of truly helping others and it makes for an offer that truly has meaning.

I still feel, though, that the misuse of the word makes it harder for all us who want to build credibility and value because customers and prospects have been bombarded with misleading messages about products that don't really "nourish the heart." (Love that phrase!)

Thanks for sharing your wisdom.