The airdrop work is quite extensive. Nowadays, as far as I know, there are many ways in which the project reaches out to the community.
I think airdrops are also a way for the team to attract more investors. Some people tend to associate legitimacy to those projects who give off if benefits for free. However some you might find that the airdrops they are willing to give are so huge so we still must stay alert at all times. Airdrops are a good source of money but don’t be too blinded that you don’t see carlos anymore.
You are right. It has become a trend to distribute free tokens, which gives a project credibility and trust from investors. Most of the big projects nowadays give airdrop which helps them not only bring in more investors but also build a community that will continue to support the project for the long run. This is also a marketing strategy taken by the project because it works better than a paid marketing campaign. Usually an airdrop announcement is shared by hundreds of different groups and kols all over social media.