PR practitioners have found that "some things in life are free," as traditional advertising methods and tactics such as offering free samples become wildly successful on the Web.
For example, account executives at Ketchum Public Relations in Pittsburgh hit the jackpot last year when they promoted a toll-free telephone number to call for those wanting free samples of client SmithKline Beecham's Aquafresh Whitening toothpaste.
By finding the right Internet usenet group, executives were able to market free samples of toothpaste online without creating an expensive Web site. The agency instead placed a free posting on alt.consumers.free-stuff and netted more than 500 calls in the first three days.
To pull off the PR ploy, Ketchum execs had researched various news groups and found that this newsgroup was one where people chatted about free products,and where to get them.
As a result, SmithKline Beecham used a low-tech method to track its foray into cyberspace with Aquafresh Whitening. When callers to the toll-free number gave their names and addresses to receive free 4.3-ounce tubes of the brand, they were asked how they learned of the offer.
Of the 1,338 (out of 1,772) callers who had seen the number, 59.1 percent indicated they had seen the number on the Internet on a Usenet newsgroup - or bulletin board - dishing out "free stuff."
The Internet marketing of Aquafresh Whitening was meant to hit on some progressive PR by supplementing a large conventional broadcast and print ad campaign by Grey Advertising in New York, Aquafresh's agency, according to Gillian Hamburger, a former account executive at the Ketchum Public Relations unit of Ketchum Communications in Pittsburgh.
Rich McWilliams, associate brand manager for Aquafresh at SmithKline Beecham in Pittsburgh, said the campaign was a success because Aquafresh Whitening is new and "people on the Internet are probably more likely to try new products because people who use computers may be more willing to look at new things."
The pharmaceutical was also able to track the comments of people using the products. For example, they found most of the browsers preferred a regular sized tube in the mail over a coupon.
PR practitioners with the high-tech firm SpectraCom in Milwaukee used similar techniques when they launched a Web site for Burst Gum. To promote the site, it offered free gum to all registered browsers. (While sources at SpectraCom would not divulge the costs of the project, they said that generally similar Web sites start from $30,000 to several hundred thousand dollars and monthly upkeep runs about $2,500 to $6,000.)
In addition to creating the site, practitioners also publicized the free gum offer directly and indirectly.
"We practiced Internet PR in the sense that we found newsgroups to post our announcement," said Lane Beuchamp, PR manager for the agency.
Linking to Freebie Sites Is Key
Almost all marketing/PR practitioners agree that usegroups, in coordination with "freebie sites," is the right way to go when publicizing free samples.
According to Kris Freidrich, president/CEO of Hot Coupons (http://www.hotcoupons.com), more than 30,000 food, restaurant, retail, travel and automotive service accounts try to lure people on their freebie site with free samples, two-for-one coupons and discounts.
"The key to doing this is just not giving away free stuff but getting information about the people who are accessing the site," he said. "Find out who they are, how old they are, what their income is and how they spend it."
Freidrich is working with MetroMail, (http://www.metromail.com) a Chicago-based direct mail firm, in creating a new Web site that personalizes the coupon process. For example, browsers will be asked a series of questions on their interests, likes and dislikes in order for targeted specials and freebies to be sent to them.
"Why give out whitening toothpaste to a 12-year-old who would rather have a bubblegum-flavored toothpaste?" said Daniel Hamburger, VP of strategy for MetroMail. "With our new site, everyone is happy."
In fact, Freebie sites are pretty much running the show, say marketers at Duraflame in Stockton, Calif.
After Duraflame's free log special was picked up by "freebie" sites, its requests more than tripled. Since November 1996, the site has given away more than 10,000 coupon packages for three types of logs and matches retailing about $7.
"We also have chat capabilities and some of our customers have been making suggestions such as having scented logs," said Paula Sullivan, marketing analyst with Duraflame. "We feel that once you try it, you won't go back. These trials are key."
(Ketchum, 412/456-3846, SmithKline, 412/928-6862, Duraflame 203/897-7888, SpectraCom, 414/272-7742)