Implied Free

It used to be that if you wanted to access the internet in an airport that you had to pay for it through services like Boingo, or T-Mobile, AT&T, etc.  You can still pay for that internet access if you want, or you can access it through what I call, "Implied Free".  Implied free is telling the consumer that something is free, but it isn't really.  In the case of airport internet access, you watch an ad and then you get a half-hour or so, and then you can watch the same ad again, and get another half hour or so. And on and on it goes. It seems free, but it's not because we have taken our time to look at the ad and distract ourselves from doing something else. What is the cost to us? It's the cost of what we could/would be doing otherwise.  "Implied free" is not new.  Broadcast media was built this way and we now see the same for the "implied free" of ad supported streaming entertainment services.  We are just a moment away from walking into a coffee shop and receiving what appears to be an "implied free" cup of coffee, but we will have to show that we watched the ad, tweeted or create a Facebook status about being in the store and trying the coffee.  I personally don't mind "implied free". It feels active and full of choices.  If we can find the goodness in the approach, there is much we can do and have our consumers and customers join in to help.

No Catches...No Ties...Nothing Hidden

There is a great AT&T commercial running, called, "Supervisor"  . It's filled with so much of how we think. 

First, we are cynical and disbelieving of any offers (maybe rightfully earned). 

Secondly, we distrust that we are receiving the right level of authority and attention from service people.

Thirdly, we think that we have "won" when we escalate the problem to someone higher in the authority chain. 

What the ad is saying back to us, or is at least trying to do so, is that all three of our assumptions are false.  But, will we change?  Not likely, so we might as well accept that our consumers and customers all think this way. 

The only thing that gets over the fears of ties and catches are trust, authenticity and transparency. Might in the AT&T advertisement the service been better had Lily identified herself as the Supervisor from the beginning?

Something for us all to think about!