Sizzle without the steak: the emerging strategic implications of receiving a free offering in the digital age

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to fill a gap in the literature. The notion of giveaways/free has not been well addressed in management history literature and arguably is a valuable contribution in that it has a strategic dimension. Design/methodology/approach This paper is conceptual. It is a structured survey of ideas/opinions about the notion of “free” in commercial endeavor. The survey is organized largely from a historical perspective. Findings Several categories of “free” are delineated and placed into a historical and strategic context. Originality/value The work has strategic implications and lays out a new research agenda for management historians.