Honestly,it makes sense in English grammar if the title of this post is “What is Freebie” or “What are Freebies?” yet I left it as “What is Freebies?”. Puzzling right?At first,it was a typo. Then when I wanted to remove it, it got me thinking so I left it. So leaving it as “What Is Freebies?” is deliberate and I will explain why.
For a start,Free is Free and I don’t intend to state otherwise. The meaning of ‘Free’ has never changed in meaning or application.
So when “Free” got changed into the slang word “Freebie” (originally US),it still means Free!
In freebies (Free+ies), the ‘ie’ or ‘ies’ at the end are rhyming reduplication. Rhyming reduplication is a term for a word with a sound in the word which is repeated at the end. That repeated part does not generally have any real meaning. So it is with the ‘ies’ at the end of the word Freebies.My conclusion is that it is useless to the meaning!
In America’s most trusted Dictionary,Merriam-Webster, ‘Freebies’ means something given without charge. For Oxford English Dictionary ,”freebies” means something given to someone without payment, usually by a company.
My favorite meaning for “freebies” is the one by Simpson & Weiner
which can be understood as ,the provision of free goods and services at no cost to the end-user’
As an Adjective: Freebies is Free;without charge but as a Noun, Something that is provided free.” In Cambridge dictionary,”freebies” means something that is usually sold but that is given to you without your having to pay for it:
This definition of “freebies” for emphasis, includes such items as “Buy One – Get One Free”(BOGOF). It is in debate if goods or services given because a customer must make a buy to get the “free” item is a Freebies. For me,once you do not pay for a good or service,then it is free!Someone paid for it and it is not you!
The argument that it comes with a condition of payment doe not mean the receiver paid for it. For example, if gas is being given for free and you receive it in your automobile,it does not mean you paid for the gas. Same with Free subscription on cable TVs and other conditional freebies out there. So if you have not paid for it,it is free!
Another example is in freebies where certain products match the interests of a group. A free sachet of Hair Shampoo comes with a women magazine yet no price has changed in the price of the magazine. That hair shampoo is free even if you have paid the full price for the magazine.That makes the shampoo freebies!
What about if you take a flight not paid for after undertaking several flights before? That is freebies because you were given and not charged for it! There is no orphan cost,including cost of freebies. It means you are not the one paying for it. Cost of freebies gets absorbed as cost essential to sell products or services of the company.
Should freebies get treated with suspicion?
No.Giving freebies didn’t start today.Among humans, it is as old as our trade by Barter exchange.
Buyers have always needed to know the quality of the product they are trading by barter. For food item of different variants and quality such as wine or fruit,the seller provides a small sample to the buyer to taste. Based on this condition and the result buyer gets from the tasting ,the buyer will decide to or not trade by barter. This same practice continues to this day in the retail sector. Freebies websites are giving true meaning to it. Customers are now encouraged to “try before they buy”especially when it is a a new product or service.
“There is no such thing as free lunch” is not true in most cases.
The origin of that saying “there is no free lunch” is unknown but it reflects a popular belief in the US of the 1960s. It may have originated to a time in the 1840s when saloons would offer bar snacks to entice customers. Today, salty peanuts are freebies to increase thirst. After you eat the free salted peanuts, you need to buy beverage drinks or water to quench your thirst. It is from this narrow angle the saying interpreted freebies. That anything provided as Freebies (even if not paid for) eventually has to be paid for, in one way or another, such as by returning the favor, feeling obligated to the freebies giver or by paying ‟ in some hidden way” which is not made explicit at the time the freebie was being taken.
So how did the word freebies and its meaning survived the cynicism in the saying?
Freebies use now extends from the barber shop or flea market to even the largest corporations like Amazon, Wal-Mart , who use them for a variety of purposes such as to;
Introduce product/service to new audiences that were hitherto unfamiliar with their brand.
Foster relationships and inspire loyalty with existing and returning customers
Expand consumers’ knowledge about the products/services that they offer.
Increase frequency of buy by repeat customers and more sales of new products/service.
Bring attention to their brand among competing brand at or leading up to an event.
What’s new about the meaning of Freebies?
Now we have a category of websites that give items not paid for named after the word “freebies”; freebies websites.
In marketing and advertising,there is a term now called “Freebies” marketing. Freebies marketing is any sales and advertising promotion, price reduction, or giveaway that encourages product sales of same product or/and another product,more likely of a higher value. Sometimes, freebie marketing campaigns are referred to as loss leader programs.
For most successful freebies marketing, businesses have already considered their bottom line. So, businesses search for value-added, low-cost products to use as freebies to drive subsequent sales .
Freebies marketing has a great chance of success because almost everyone responds to the word “free.” When we see free shipping, a gift with purchase, a free e-book, or a buy-one-get-one-free deal, we take a second look. As a marketing tactic, offering freebies fetch returns which earns a spot as a core revenue generating activity. So, businesses have now found new meaning in the word “Freebies”
In the online digital economy,”freebies” means free applications offered from websites as gifts. They can be small-sized to make their download easy or complete package with limited days use.
You will find freebies as blog templates,mobile applications, slot coins, trials and software tools in this category.
Here are some of the websites that I know which offer some of the digital items as freebies.
1.DealFuel
This is a platform that offers digital products as freebies. They have great deal offers of design bundles, web templates ,plugins and many more. If you are a software designer or mobile app developer,the DealFuel has some freebies for you.
2. Stacksocial
This is an award-winning e-commerce platform that gives deals,discounts,freebies and giveaways. Signing up as a new customer alone immediately earns you 10% discount on your purchase
You will find great discount deals for latest softwares and web services on Stacksocial.
3. App stores.
There are now millions of mobile applications as freebies. They are regarded as “freemium” versions and are available in every app store. From iOS to Android and others,you will definitely find freebies mobile apps.
4. InkyDeals
This is a fantastic website for you if you are looking for freebies and great discounts in the digital design assets for designers, freelancers and photographers. They have freebies deals on design bundles, textures, overlays and products useful to the creative designers’ .
So, the use of the of the word is now more relevant than ever. Whether it’s called
– discounts,
-loyalty cards,
-deals,
-coupons,
-sweepstakes,
-free sample,
The moment you are not charged for it,that means it is free and that is what Freebies mean!
