Free for a Reason

“Sometimes stuff is free for a reason.”
 
I had someone say that to me a few weeks back. It’s a cliché, but probably a cliché because it resonates.
 
I hadn’t thought of the phrase much before I heard the words uttered. It came out of the mouth of a guy I was refereeing a set of basketball games with. A power drink mix I’d gotten for free tasted like crap. Left you gagging when you downed it. That bad.
 
Over the course of several weeks, I’d dutifully mixed the concoction and brought a bottle to games where I refereed basketball. During game breaks, halftime, between games, I’d knock back a few gulps.
 
The first batch, if memory serves correctly, was chocolate. That’s right, a chocolate sports hydration drink. Not so sure that is a good idea, but I was willing to have a go.
 
Chugging down that first mixture, my eyeballs enlarged and my throat swelled. Whew. As the overwhelming mixture percolated down my throat (barely), it felt like it should rise right back up and eject out of my mouth. Somehow, I kept it down.

Picture this: an overly salty slimy chocolate taste. Not something you want to try for fun, but okay, if it’s supposed to be good for my body to reclaim nutrients while working out, I’ll try another flavor.
 
Next up was lemon lime. This was no better, perhaps worse, because the lemon lime taste didn’t come through. Instead, it was like guzzling ocean water. Pure salt going down the hatch.
 
After two batches like that, you have to wonder about me. I began complaining to my referee partners at games. “Man, I got these free sports drinks packets and they taste horrible. I can’t believe they can sell them.”
 
Most of my referee partners shrugged at the rant. But, finally, one of them hit me with the line, “There’s a reason some things are free.”
 
I had to nod my head. I hadn’t thought of it that way. Once it was put to me, I thought about how crummy the product was, and said to myself, “He’s probably right. They have to give this away. No one would buy it.”
 
Sports drinks are a saturated market. Everyone tries to get into the game. They sell it in packets, plastic bottles, pre-prepared squeezable pouches. Anything to try and be different and get your dwindling attention.
 
When all else fails, give it away free. Make it part of that “special free promotion.” That almost guarantees you will try the product. Which, of course, I did.
 
It doesn’t mean you’ll continue drinking it though. How many flavors will you try before saying to yourself, “I’m tossing the rest of these in the trash.”  That’s where I am now.
 
You get these free promotions for sports drinks and power bars (another market where tasteless products abound). “Try this new cardboard-tasting power bar folks. It’s horrible, but it’s free.” Take one bite and send it to the trash heap.
 
At some point, you think I’d learn, but that “free” label still sucks you in. You’ll give it a shot. Once, twice, maybe three times. If you get that far, don’t kid yourself. It’s time to remember, “There’s a reason they’re giving it away free.”