The freeloader problem
I wonder if there is one.
Here’s a guy at Starbucks who nicely consented to being photographed. You’ll notice that he’s eating a burger and fries and yes, a beverage, all from Mickey D’s. (that coffee cup on his table is a vestige from the last customer).
Except he’s not eating at McDonald’s. He’s eating at a very very busy Starbucks, a place where if the line is too long or there are no tables, people leave.
I asked him why he was eating at Starbucks, and he didn’t hesitate, "It’s way nicer here."
Are marketers training an entire generation that there’s never a limit? That free music and free wifi and free ebooks and free lobby space isn’t just an inducement to pay attention, but is, in fact, a right?
I’m still betting that the busy people you want to reach will be appropriately motivated by free. But it’s a scary picture.