It seems like every time I open the newspaper these days I find several ads from local car dealerships offering free gas cards with the purchase of a new or used car. Now, the free gas promotion is spreading like wildfire and even churches are jumping on the bandwagon.
It seems like a genius promotional tactic but truth be told, it makes perfect sense. "Free Gas" is a message consumers will listen to right now when fuel prices are through the roof. It's a necessary expense, so when an ad or business offers a way for consumers to save a few bucks on gas, the consumer is much more likely to stop, look and listen to that ad or marketing message.
Of course, free gas promotions can go a bit too far. According to an article in U.S. News & World Report, a car dealership in Florida is offering customers who buy a car a choice between $250 in gas or a free gun. That seems bizarre to me, but clearly I'm not the target demographic as apparently more customers are choosing the gun than the gas.
What can we learn from this as marketers? First, if you don't already have a free gas promotion going on, start one. Second, always be aware of the world around you and leverage opportunities to meet customers needs even if they seem out of the box. Innovative thinking, even when it's attached to what appears to be a mundane consumer problem, can drive business.
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