Ripple Labs has run giveaways, and encountered issues similar to those SDF is facing. A major problem is the scammers they attract and the question of what value they actually add.
Delivering large quantities of free XRP/STR to bad actors does not add clear value to these networks, in terms of utility. All that I can see is that if the objective is to solicit pump/dump crowds and hoarders, then mass giveaways satisfy that criteria. Large scale bot network operators and fraud rings end up with vested interested in promoting the currency, so that they can then sell out at top dollar.
From the perspective of trying to build a healthy network and user community, it is a high risk (and arguably stupid) approach. It is a difficult problem to solve for, and I will be interested to see if SDF can turn things around (I am kind of excited about that, actually). At the moment, my understanding is that SDF has struggled at a technical level due to the massive number of wallets scammers have created. Malicious actors have also attacked the network directly, attempting to disrupt the service (so not all technical issues have been giveaway strategy related - highlighting that for fairness, but some issues have arguably also been purely internal).
Ripple Labs is all about utility, and attracting people who will add value to the network.
At a small scale, they are pursuing this by supporting the
CrossCoin Ventures startup accelerator. Attracting innovators to the network is a clear value add. It opens the door for new services, businesses, and organizations based around the network. Developer bounties have also been used.
joelkatz phrased the distribution issue extremely well:
You can't distribute value until you create it.