Free samples of products are by no means a recent phenomenon. Supermarkets have been giving them for years, and so have companies that distribute samples of products via the post office. you can also find, pens, mouse mats, and key rings being given away at exhibitions. Companies do this in an attempt to enhance brand image, and "get the word out", about their products in an attempt to increase their sales, and they can also use these products as bait for other commercial products.

The Internet has changed the way that free samples are obtained, today companies no longer need to bombard thousands of mail boxes in an attempt to get somebody, somewhere, to purchase their products. It is not uncommon for companies to offer freebies in an attempt to obtain your personal data. Dissemination of a persons personal information, with or even without permission, is a huge business. Think about this: when you request a free product sample, especially over the internet, you are commonly asked to provide personal information about yourself, such as your name, e-mail, your home address, and age. In some case online freebie request forms will even ask you to state your monthly income.

Some people collect freebies as a hobby, and it's difficult to differentiate between people that are genuinely interested in trying a product sample, and somebody that just wants to add the product sample to their collection. However, the vast majority of people are selective when they are choosing a sample to obtain, and then there are that will take anything that doesn't have a price tag attached to it. So how can a company guarantee that their samples are being used, and that their investment is paying off? When you get down to it, it's a balancing act. Companies take the rough along with the smooth. They hope that if they distribute enough free samples, their product will reap the rewards.

However, not all stories are pretty stories for some of these companies. For instance lets say that you sample a product and you end up disliking it, odd are that you will probably go out of your way to avoid it in the future, and you may even go so far as to voice your dissatisfaction for their product. Studies have proven that people tell more people about their dissatisfactions than their more positive encounters. This is why, free samples could be risky for business if the quality of the product is not up to par. However, more often than not, people are happy to receive anything that is free. If they dislike the item that they received, it's highly unlikely they'll dwell on it for too long.

When freebies are combined with other marketing activities, they can increase sales, raise awareness, and create a buzz around products that might have gone unnoticed. One thing is for sure: free samples are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future anyway.