The Power of Free

By Scott Lewis

Bogdan makes his living - if you can call it that - riding Kyiv's subways, trams and busses with a bag slung lazily over his left shoulder.  One eye is constantly scanning for space, the other for conductors or, worse, cops.  When he finds space and doesn't see a menacing authority figure, he deftly dips into the bag and comes out with a handful of small paper ads, which he tucks into the frames provided for the use of legitimate, paying advertisers.  Sometimes he tapes or pastes his little ads to walls, windows, doors, and any other available surface.  While in the act, he meets passengers' disapproving stares with a defiant sneer that says, "So what's it to you, muzhik?"

When signs appeared on the metro sternly advising that posting unofficial ads violates the criminal code, Bogdan demonstrated his contempt by pasting his little ads over the warning.

Admittedly, Bogdan's a scofflaw, a kind of ad pirate.  He's also a hungry university student with girlfriends to entertain. 
The thing is, there are many men and women like Bogdan, and the practice of posting illegal ads for legal goods and services has achieved a modicum of legitimacy. Though we are reminded that Ukraine is a nation of laws, the common folk seem to forgive the minor hooliganism represented by pirate ads.  If the big players can steal everything from elections to steel mills, who's to worry about a little ad for a German language tutor? 

The nation seems to be plastered with tattered, fluttering marketing detritus.  It's unsightly, but I don't blame the people who eke out an existence posting the fliers.  I do, though, wish that the people who sponsor the ads would break free of the clutter and be more creative.  If you're going to build your business by breaking the law, I say that you should do it with some style.
During political campaigns, posters (not tiny scraps of paper but large, full-color sheets) are slathered on fences and walls across the nation. The politicians have it right: if you're going to post signs, do it with gusto.  Go big.  Ukraine's Communists went with graffiti last year, spray-painting, "Go Away, NATO!" on fences across Kyiv, along with that always fashionable hammer-and-sickle symbol and their ballot position number. It's simple, direct and hard to miss - or misunderstand.  The election's long over, but the messages remain. 

 Use imagination. The stuff Bogdan posts is usually pretty basic: "Mobile Phone Repair" followed by a phone number.  That's simple, but not very catchy.  Why not be different?  A fellow who sells phone cards in my district added a prominent sign to his stand: "Free Advice About Anything." It's a conversation-starter, and I'll wager he outsells his competitor on the opposite street corner.
People love the word 'free' - even when the value they receive is negligible.  They'll avail themselves of a free offer even when they don't especially desire the item being distributed.  Ask yourself what you can give away.  Forget imprinted key chains, pens, coffee mugs, and the other traditional BTL giveaway junk euphemistically called 'advertising specialties.'  What can you give away that won't cost anything?  Imagine an ad for an apteka offering "Free Tour Today."   Or a nail salon that offered to do "Second Hand Free."  A dental office: "Free Smiles On Fridays."

An American comedian used to get laughs by having a camera follow him around Times Square in New York, where he asked shop owners what they would give him, free.  Seeing the camera and sensing publicity, some shop owners offered pretty good stuff. Then the comic would go next door and try to trade up, parlaying two or three small freebies into a bigger, more valuable item.   It was funny, sure, but it was also a good lesson.  'Free' can have value to both the giver and the recipient.
To those who decry these tactics as illegal and grossly unprofessional, I agree with my pal Bogdan: "So what's it to you, muzhik?"