The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a significant shift in how companies approached marketing and consumer engagement. Across the United States, brands in various sectors—including food service, vaping, and software—implemented freebies, discounts, and no-cost trials to support consumers and businesses navigating lockdowns and health guidelines. These initiatives ranged from complimentary meals and protective gear to extended software licenses for remote work and education. This article details the types of free offers available during the height of the pandemic, based on verified reports and official announcements from early 2020.
Food and Restaurant Freebies
With self-isolation guidelines requiring Americans to stay home, the demand for delivery and takeout services surged. Restaurant chains responded with deals designed to make ordering in more accessible and affordable for families confined to their households.
Burger King introduced a specific promotion for parents and children. The fast-food chain offered two free kids' meals with any purchase made through the Burger King app. This initiative was launched to provide affordable options for families adjusting to life at home during the outbreak.
Tobacco and Vaping Industry Offers
The tobacco and vaping industries utilized the pandemic to offer free personal protective equipment (PPE) alongside their standard products. These offers were often framed as part of "COVID-19 Relief Efforts."
- Moti Piin: This brand offered two free surgical masks to customers who ordered a battery-powered vaping pen from their online shop.
- Smok: Purchasing sleek cartridges from this e-cigarette brand provided customers with chances to win disposable gloves and up to 10,000 masks.
- E-Liquid Promotions: Other online shops offered two-for-one e-liquid vials or 19% off nicotine e-juices using codes like "COVID-19."
These marketing tactics included doorstep deliveries and pandemic-themed discounts. While the companies stated they were doing their part to help, anti-smoking advocates criticized the strategy, noting that smoking and vaping damage lungs and increase health risks associated with the virus.
Business and Software Resources
Numerous software companies provided free access to their platforms to assist organizations, schools, and researchers responding to the crisis. These offers generally targeted businesses needing to transition to remote work or humanitarian efforts fighting the virus.
Remote Work and Collaboration Tools
Several companies offered extended licenses or free plans to facilitate remote operations: * Lifesize: Provided free unlimited licenses for their cloud-based video collaboration platform for six months to organizations impacted by the virus. * Ribbon Communications: Offered free Work@Home licenses until June 30, 2020, providing a Unified Communications solution for enterprises shifting to an all-remote workforce. * Box: Offered a free secure file sharing and collaboration platform (Business plan) for 3 months, including unlimited storage and advanced security reporting. * Wrike: Provided free licenses of their collaborative work management platform (Professional edition) to new customers for 6 months. * Panopto: Enabled businesses and educational institutions to continue remote learning with free three-month access to video capture and distribution tools. * Jamm: Offered a free audio-visual communication tool for 3 months, allowing teams to record videos or conduct live calls. * Airtable: Provided free use of the Airtable Pro plan for any non-political, humanitarian effort tackling COVID relief, with no time limit.
Customer Service and IT Support
To help organizations manage increased inquiries and support remote employees, the following tools were made available: * Yext: Offered a free, new site search product, Yext Answers, for a 90-day period to help businesses answer consumer COVID-19 queries. * ServiceNow: Released free software to help organizations digitize workflows, including new applications specifically for the pandemic. * Espressive: Provided a free 90-day Rapid Assistance Program to automate IT help desks for enterprise organizations. * Aisera: Offered free software for 60 days to help healthcare organizations and government agencies manage high volumes of queries and calls.
Document Management and Security
- PandaDoc: Offered a free eSign plan with unlimited users, document uploads, eSignatures, and payment processing.
- Docusign: Provided free access for managing electronic agreements.
- Hyperproof: Offered free software to help organizations stay compliant with privacy regimes in the U.S. and Europe.
- Trustwave Security Colony: Provided an informational pack including a BYOD Device Security Checklist and Phishing Tips Sticker, requiring registration.
Data and Research Tools
- DataRobot: Offered a free enterprise AI platform for organizations helping with the COVID-19 response effort.
- Push Technology: Provided free real-time enterprise-grade data delivery until October.
- Qualtrics: Made their Remote Work Pulse available for free to all organizations.
- Nvidia: Offered a free 90-day license to Parabricks to any researcher fighting the novel coronavirus.
- Autodesk: Provided free access to select Autodesk products and services.
General Freebies and Relief Lists
Several websites curated lists of free resources and deals available during the pandemic. These lists served as aggregators for offers from companies big and small.
- Claritywave: Curated a list of 318 free resources and deals (products, services, subscriptions) that were either free or heavily discounted (50% or more) during the Coronavirus pandemic. The list was last updated on September 22, 2020.
- Freebiesupply: Provided a list of "Coronavirus freebies" designed by creatives, intended to help with projects. These included Sketch resources, PSD freebies, and Adobe XD templates.
Conclusion
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of free offers expanded significantly. Businesses adapted their promotional strategies to address the immediate needs of a population dealing with isolation and health concerns. From free meals for families to essential software for remote work, these initiatives highlighted a broad corporate effort to provide value and support during a global crisis. Consumers seeking these offers found them primarily through app-based purchases, online shop orders, and direct sign-ups on software provider websites.