Did you get your free cone at Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day yesterday? (April 29, 2008?)
I hope you did. My favorite is Coffee Heath Bar Crunch: whenever I get to a Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop I get that on a sugar cone. Last year, the company gave away more than a million cones from its stores worldwide on Free Cone Day. Wow!
In thinking about the publicity Ben & Jerry's generated, Free Cone Day is just a small part of the company's outreach to community and its ability to capitalize on its brand as a loyal, family-friendly, salary-capped, organic and eco-friendly company (I know some of you are grumbling that the original owners sold out, but remember, the company continues to donate over a million dollars to charity-- and also gives away significant amounts of ice cream-- every single year).
A free giveaway of your main product may not work for you and your business, but I know you can find something -- even a little something! -- that you may give away as a promotional item or an introduction to your services.
If you're predominantly in services, consider doing some pro bono work for a local nonprofit. If you offer books, software, tapes, or CDs, consider giving some away to people who will help you publicize your work. If you have physical items, find schools or groups who will help promote your product to generate "buzz" about your corporate generosity. You might want to follow Ben & Jerry's example and do an annual day where you focus on your pro bono or volunteer efforts, just for the day.
For some more ideas on sharing, try this link from A Successful Woman:
Business Builder: Give Something Away to Receive Something Back
http://www.benjerry.com/
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