The four marketing strategies mentioned in the title are used by a variety of different retailers and in most cases they are used to make you buy items that you don’t really want. Saying this, freebies, promotions and competitions can be fun and if you are lucky enough to win a prize or come away with something that you’ve always wanted then so much the better. Our advice though is to think before getting caught up in the hype because there is always a cost for the promotion and this is usually priced in somewhere.

Freebies
It isn’t often that retailers give products away for free and so if you see freebies on offer there is probably a catch. It may be that you get something free, such as a t-shirt or a pen when you fill in a short form however once the company that’s offering the freebies has your details you’ll probably be bombarded with junk mail advertising their products. If you don’t mind this though then go ahead and get all the freebies you can. Take advantage of anything that’s being given away as you never know when you may need it.

Gimmicks
Freebies, promotions and competitions are all examples of the marketing gimmicks that retailers use to draw customers in. If the gimmicks are genuine and you don’t have to lay out any money or give any personal details to qualify for them then make the most of them. It’s amazing what you can get for nothing if you shop around and make the most of special offers, discounts, promotions etc.

Promotions
When it comes to high street retailers and indeed internet retailers the term ‘promotion’ normally refers to specific ranges of products. These promotions can include special discounts, BOGOF offers, 50% extra free, buy one and get another half price and so on. If the products that are on promotion appeal to you and more importantly are products you’re going to use then take advantage of the retailer’s generosity and stock up while the going’s good. If however you’re only thinking of buying the products because they are on promotion then it might be wiser to leave them where they are.

Competitions
Everybody loves a competition and the best ones are invariably the ones you can enter for free. Be aware though that most competitions will want some personal details from you, such as your address and maybe your telephone number, and once the competition is over the company running the competition will still have these details. You may very well get some junk mail and a few random phone calls but if you win a prize in the competition then it’s all worth it – and even if you don’t it’s no real hardship.

Freebies, gimmicks, promotions and competitions can provide you with lots of quality items either for free or for great prices and they should generally be taken advantage off. Look around at the different retailers and see what you can pick up but don’t go mad – remember there will be more of the same next month.