A giveaway is a promotional tool used by businesses to improve awareness of the brand, improve their image, or drive sales. Giveaways can range a great deal in size and value. Most businesses that use giveaways in their marketing strategies roll the price of their giveaway into their other products or services. This is true if the company does not have a large enough marketing budget to cover the cost of the giveaway.
A small giveaway, for example, might be a free bookmark given away by a book shop with every purchase. An example of a large giveaway is an all-inclusive five day vacation to a tropical region. The size of this kind of promotional item and the quantity given away depends entirely on the scope and purposes of the campaign to which the giveaway is related.
Sometimes this kind of promotional item is used simply to remind customers about a particular business and, hopefully, inspire them to continue patronizing that business. Promotional materials meant to keep a customer aware of a business are usually small, everyday items. Such items include bookmarks, magnets, pens, key chains, and stationery. These items, emblazoned with the business's name, logo, and perhaps even contact information, are intended to remind customers about the business multiple times per day. A stationery tablet on an office desk, printed with the name and perhaps tag line of a local business could remind the person using the desk about that business dozens of times per day, even if only subconsciously.
It is very common for restaurants with delivery services to use magnets as giveaways. This is because magnets are most commonly places on refrigerators. The hope is that, at the end of a long day at work, a customer who is feeling a bit tired may see the magnet and think of ordering dinner instead of cooking. While this kind of giveaway may not cost much per unit for the business, it can yield quite a number of sales over the years.
Sometimes giveaways are used as a way of collecting contact information for potential customers. If a new airline, for example, was trying to develop a database of contact information for members of their target demographics, they may offer a chance to win a free vacation for each person who signs up for the airline's newsletter and provides their contact information. This is a way to both gather information for future marketing campaigns and market research while also inspiring excitement about the company.