The Future Will Set You Free

Here is a challenge on your creativity. What do you think of the following idioms?

The best things in life are free. It is better to give than to receive.

Chris Anderson’s book, FREE may have caused a stir for its radical thesis on a new price index: free. He proposes a fairly strong argument for giving things away, literally, for free.

Here is recent evidence of a free-orientated approach to business and branding: Irish pop band, U2 ‘live streaming’ concert on 26 October 2009 was watched by nearly 7,000,000 fans. The concert at California’ Pasadena Rose Bowl was posted on the Internet via YouTube. U2 was one of the first major bands to stream a concert live for free of their 360 Degrees Tour. When the concert concluded, thousands of fans left messages of support on the video-sharing website. The entire show will be repeated on YouTube at a later date.

Free webinars (web seminars) by software companies. For example, Mind Manager 8 for designing mind maps.

Sports drink company, Infinit, offers an online design of your preferred sports drink profile. You design the composition of nutrients that goes to your ‘one custom’ drink, flavour, and taste. You then have an option to buy a sample of this at an affordable cost.

Traditional, yet effective are the provision of free samples. Who doesn’t love a freebie, now and then? As long as there is no catch. Filling a short form may be the price you pay. A few minutes of your time, and a little information about yourself and your buying preferences: that is what is involved for you – the freebie receiver. We may have participated, as freeware users, in the beta testing of new and emerging software. Subsequently, you may be approached for an upgrade to a better version, should you intend to pay a small fee.

Is nothing for free? Microsoft Windows Vista, automatically, downloads ‘patches’ for its end-users at no charge. Likewise, anti-virus software from Norton and McAfee also notify us of updates for innoculating our PCs from a virulent and infectious world of spam, Trojans, viruses and worms.

Anderson provides many examples, from small businesses to mega-corporations. He also describes how larger corporations took the lead from small businesses and online businesses, to review how free can free up their businesses from the encumbrances of more discerning consumers.

In a nutshell, free can enhance your brand with the release of values called generosity, reciprocation, appreciation, care and loyalty. Some may actually pay for a better version for your product, while others may be satisfied with your free version, and others will pay premium for your best. So, free may not be absolutely free. There are terms and conditions to consider. The small print, however lengthy and thorough, is still binding.

So, is free silly? You can still receive a copy of my e-book THE SUCCESS STRATEGIES OF WORLD-CHAMPIONS. It is free.