# Credit Crunch Caffeine Promos Tim Hortons Gives Out Free Iced Coffee in Canada By Christina Butty | Published 2009-05-21 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tim-hortons-free-ice-cappuccinos References: [timhortons](http://www.timhortons.com/) Today Tim Hortons is giving away small Ice Coffee between 12-5 in Canada. This Canadian coffee giant is the next in a list of companies giving away freebies during this economic downturn. As the recession trudges along, many major fast food retailers are duking it out over coffee. This is likely a response to [McDonald](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/krispy-kreme-and-mcdonalds)’s [free coffee promotion](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/krispy-kreme-and-joe-jonas) that was offered during breakfast hours from April 20 to May 3 of this year. I suggest you put some time aside if you are planning to collect your free Tim Hortons small [Iced Coffee](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/awesome-iced-tea) today, the line will be crazy! ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 20% | Activity: 60% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Publicity Stunts](https://www.trendhunter.com/publicitystunts) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Freebies During Economic Downturn:** Opportunity for businesses to attract customers and generate brand loyalty by offering freebies during a recession. - **Competition Over Coffee Promotions:** Fast food retailers are intensifying their coffee promotions to compete for customers' attention and loyalty. - **Crowded Lines for Free Coffee:** Increased demand for free coffee giveaways leading to long queues, presenting opportunities for event management and crowd control solutions. ### Where This Applies - **Fast Food Retail:** Restaurants and cafes can leverage free coffee promotions to attract customers and increase sales during economic downturns. - **Event Management:** Organizing and managing the crowd during popular free coffee giveaways can create business opportunities for event management companies. - **Crowd Control Solutions:** Increased demand for managing long queues during free coffee promotions creates potential for innovative crowd control solutions. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Complimentary QSR Coffee Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pret-organic-coffee.md) - [Daylight Savings Coffee Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/international-delight-and-7eleven.md) - [Loyalty-Based Pastry Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/timbits-days.md) - [Aquatic Cafe Boater Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tim-hortons-boatthru.md) - [Convenience Store Coffee Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/circle-k-free-coffee-week.md) - [Expansive Summertime Cafe Refreshments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summer-drinks-menu.md) - [Celebratory Irish Cream Coffees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tim-hortons-irish-cream.md) - [Buy-One-Share-One QSR Offers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buy-one-get-one-half-price-promo.md) - [Happy Hour Menu Additions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tim-hortons-3.md)