I received a call from the store associate at Pandora promoting a sales event to get a free bracelet for my wife.
Free? Really.
A few days later I received a direct marketing response via mail from Pandora. The direct marketing piece was in an almost 8 by 11 card with a pink background and in big white letters said this:
FREE
BRACELET
I was like…okay, this seems like a good deal. Show up at the store and receive a “Free Bracelet”
But as your eyes read it from top to bottom there is a catch (in smaller letters, of course):
With your $125
Pandora Purchase
Pandora, I love your store, overall and the products you sell at affordable prices. I also love entrepreneurs who sell and provide products to the masses, so don’t take this the wrong way. Starting a business is something everyone should aspire too, (or a blog, something to call your own) but the bracelet is NOT free.
I would have offered something less for free that actually is free, which would then persuade or influence the consumer to reciprocate and buy something, — that is not free.
The Fresh Market is a perfect example, they offer free coffee in those small Dixie cups for free, — and their coffee is good. This puts the customer in a good mood and allows them to take more time to shop, — and spend money and buy things.
So on that note, — my advice to Pandora is to offer something less for free to get you into the store and buy something that is not free instead of offering something for free like a bracelet with a purchase.
