Many of WotC's business decisions (and the world's, to be dangerously close to speaking of things we're not supposed to on ENWorld) are things that I consider to be backward-thinking, but this is Good Business.
A lot of people (in particular at the top of businesses) think that giving away stuff for free is "bad for business".
They are wrong.
Now, there are correct and incorrect ways to do it (These Free Basic Rules are the Correct Way) but in general, when done correctly, it always returns more than it costs (which is very little).
I'd expand on how well it works, and how many areas of business (and life) that it works for, but I would probably cross the delicate line.