Free promotions, commonly expressed as “free” or “$0,” are widely used in sales strategies, yet their impact on tourists’ responses, specifically within the tourism context, remains underexplored. We conducted three studies to investigate the match effect between free promotion types (“get it for $0” vs. “get it free”) and consumption types (utilitarian-dominant vs. hedonic-dominant). Our findings reveal that associating the “get it for $0” promotion with utilitarian-dominant consumption and the “get it free” promotion with hedonic-dominant consumption results in more favorable attitudes among tourists (Study 1). This effect is mediated by tourists’ focus on cost-saving and benefit-gaining (Study 2) and moderated by advertising language (cognitive vs. affective; Study 3). Our findings provide actionable insights for marketers designing effective free promotion strategies.
AertsG.SmitsT.VerleghP. W. J. (2017). How online consumer reviews are influenced by the language and valence of prior reviews: A construal level perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 855–864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.06.023
2.
AllenM. W.GuptaR.MonnierA. (2008). The interactive effect of cultural symbols and human values on taste evaluation. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(2), 294–308. https://doi.org/10.1086/590319
3.
BüttnerO. B.FlorackA.GöritzA. S. (2015). How shopping orientation influences the effectiveness of monetary and nonmonetary promotions. European Journal of Marketing, 49(1/2), 170–189. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm-01-2012-0044
4.
ByunJ.JangS. (2015a). Effective destination advertising: Matching effect between advertising language and destination type. Tourism Management, 50, 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.01.005
5.
ByunJ.JangS. (2015b). Effective promotions for membership subscriptions and renewals to tourist attractions: Discount vs. bonus. Tourism Management, 50, 194–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.02.002
6.
CampbellM. C.GoodsteinR. C. (2001). The moderating effect of perceived risk on consumers' evaluations of product incongruity: Preference for the norm: Table 1. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(3), 439–449. https://doi.org/10.1086/323731
7.
Cascio RizzoG. L.BergerJ.De AngelisM.PozharlievR. (2023). How sensory language shapes influencer’s impact. Journal of Consumer Research, 50(4), 810–825. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucad017
8.
ChakravartiD.KrishR.PaulP.SrivastavaJ. (2002). Partitioned presentation of multicomponent bundle prices: Evaluation, choice and underlying processing effects. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 12(3), 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1207/153276602760335068
9.
ChandonP.WansinkB.LaurentG. (2000). A benefit congruency framework of sales promotion effectiveness. Journal of Marketing, 64(4), 65–81. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.64.4.65.18071
10.
ChandranS.MorwitzV. G. (2006). The price of “freedom”: Consumer sensitivity to promotions with negative contextual influences. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(3), 384–392. https://doi.org/10.1086/508439
11.
ChewE. Y. T.JahariS. A. (2014). Destination image as a mediator between perceived risks and revisit intention: A case of post-disaster Japan. Tourism Management, 40, 382–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.07.008
DasG.WienerH. J. D.KareklasI. (2019). To emoji or not to emoji? Examining the influence of emoji on consumer reactions to advertising. Journal of Business Research, 96, 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.007
14.
DavisD. F.BagchiR.BlockL. G. (2016). Alliteration alters: Phonetic overlap in promotional messages influences evaluations and choice. Journal of Retailing, 92(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2015.06.002
15.
DrechslerS.LeeflangP. S. H.BijmoltT. H. A.NatterM. (2017). Multi-unit price promotions and their impact on purchase decisions and sales. European Journal of Marketing, 51(5/6), 1049–1074. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm-12-2013-0729
16.
DroletA.WilliamsP.Lau-GeskL. (2007). Age-related differences in responses to affective vs. Rational ads for hedonic vs. utilitarian products. Marketing Letters, 18, 211–221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-007-9016-z
17.
EisenbeissM.WilkenR.SkieraB.CornelissenM. (2015). What makes deal-of-the-day promotions really effective? The interplay of discount and time constraint with product type. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 32(4), 387–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.05.007
18.
FanX.CaiF. C.BodenhausenG. V. (2022). The boomerang effect of zero pricing: When and why a zero price is less effective than a low price for enhancing consumer demand. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 50(3), 521–537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00842-1
19.
FaulF.ErdfelderE.BuchnerA.LangA. G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149
20.
FecherA.RobbertT.RothS. (2019). Same price, different perception: Measurement-unit effects on price-level perceptions and purchase intentions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 49, 129–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.03.017
21.
FengW.LiuY.LiD. (2022). Emotional or rational? The congruence effect of message appeals and country stereotype on tourists’ international travel intentions. Annals of Tourism Research, 95, 103423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2022.103423
22.
GonzálezE. M.EstevaE.RoggeveenA. L.GrewalD. (2016). Amount off versus percentage off—when does it matter?Journal of Business Research, 69(3), 1022–1027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.08.014
23.
Gordon-HeckerT.PittarelloA.ShalviS.RoskesM. (2020). Buy-one-get-one-free deals attract more attention than percentage deals. Journal of Business Research, 111, 128–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.02.070
24.
GuanD.LeiY.LiuY.MaQ. (2024). The effect of matching promotion type with purchase type on green consumption. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 78, 103732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103732
25.
HanD.DuhachekA.AgrawalN. (2014). Emotions shape decisions through construal level: The case of guilt and shame. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(4), 1047–1064. https://doi.org/10.1086/678300
26.
HanY. J.NunesJ. C.DrèzeX. (2010). Signaling status with luxury goods: The role of brand prominence. Journal of Marketing, 74(4), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.74.4.015
27.
HayesA. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process 632 analysis: A regression-based approach (p. xvii, 507). Guilford Press.
HongJ.LeeA. Y. (2008). Be fit and be strong: Mastering self-regulation through regulatory fit. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(5), 682–695. https://doi.org/10.1086/521902
30.
HuangH.LiuS. Q. (2020). “Donate to help combat covid-19!” How typeface affects the effectiveness of CSR marketing?International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(10), 3315–3333. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-05-2020-0462
31.
IdsonL. C.LibermanN.HigginsE. T. (2000). Distinguishing gains from nonlosses and losses from nongains: A regulatory focus perspective on hedonic intensity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 36(3), 252–274. https://doi.org/10.1006/jesp.1999.1402
32.
KahnemanD. (2003). Maps of bounded rationality: Psychology for behavioral economics. American Economic Review, 93(5), 1449–1475. https://doi.org/10.1257/000282803322655392
33.
KahnemanD.KnetschJ. L.ThalerR. (1986). Fairness as a constraint on profit seeking: Entitlements in the market. American Economic Review, 76(4), 728–741. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400829118-011
34.
KahnemanD.TverskyA. (1979). Prospect theory: An analysis ofdecision under risk. Econometrica, 47(2), 263–291. https://doi.org/10.2307/1914185
35.
KalwaniM. U.YimC. K. (1992). Consumer price and promotion expectations: An experimental study. Journal of Marketing Research, 29(1), 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224379202900108
36.
KronrodA.GrinsteinA.WathieuL. (2012). Enjoy! Hedonic consumption and compliance with assertive messages. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1086/661933
37.
KarlM. (2018). Risk and uncertainty in travel decision-making: Tourist and destination perspective. Journal of Travel Research, 57(1), 129–146. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287516678337
38.
KhajehzadehS.OppewalH.TojibD. (2014). Consumer responses to mobile coupons: The roles of shopping motivation and regulatory fit. Journal of Business Research, 67(11), 2447–2455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.02.012
39.
KimE. L.TanfordS. (2021). The windfall gain effect: Using a surprise discount to stimulate add-on purchases. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95, 102918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102918
40.
KimJ.KimS. S.JhangJ.DoustN. A. S.ChanR. Y. K.Badu-BaidenF. (2023). Preference for utilitarian or hedonic value options during a pandemic crisis: The moderation effects of childhood socioeconomic status and sensation-seeking. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 110, 103427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103427
41.
KooJ.SukK. (2020). Is $0 better than free? Consumer response to “$0” versus “free” framing of a free promotion. Journal of Retailing, 96(3), 383–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2019.11.006
42.
KrishnaA.BrieschR.LehmannD. R.YuanH. (2002). A meta-analysis of the impact of price presentation on perceived savings. Journal of Retailing, 78(2), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-4359(02)00072-6
43.
KronrodA.DanzigerS. (2013). “Wii will rock you!” the use and effect of figurative language in consumer reviews of hedonic and utilitarian consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(4), 726–739. https://doi.org/10.1086/671998
44.
LabrooA. A.LeeA. Y. (2006). Between two brands: A goal fluency account of brand evaluation. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3), 374–385. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.43.3.374
45.
LeeS.YiY. (2019). “Retail is detail! Give consumers a gift rather than a bundle”: Promotion framing and consumer product returns. Psychology and Marketing, 36(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21154
46.
LiF.MaJ. (2024). The effect of implied motion in travel photographs on visit intention: The mediating role of mental imagery. Tourism Management, 104, 104919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024.104919
47.
LimS.OkC. (2022). A percentage-off discount versus free surcharge: The impact of promotion type on hotel consumers’ responses. Tourism Management, 91, 104504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104504
LiuS.GaoB.GallivanM.GongY. (2020). Free add-on services and perceived value in competitive environments: Evidence from online hotel reviews. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 90, 102611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102611
50.
LiuS.MairJ. (2023). The impact of uncertainty on tourists’ controllability, mood state and the persuasiveness of message framing in the pandemic era. Tourism Management, 94, 104634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104634
51.
LiuX.YiX.WanL. C. (2022). Friendly or competent? The effects of perception of robot appearance and service context on usage intention. Annals of Tourism Research, 92, 103324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2021.103324
52.
LiuX. S.ShiY.XueN. I.ShenH. (2022). The impact of time pressure on impulsive buying: The moderating role of consumption type. Tourism Management, 91, 104505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104505
53.
LoweB.BarnesB. R. (2012). Consumer perceptions of monetary and non-monetary introductory promotions for new products. Journal of Marketing Management, 28(5-6), 629–651. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2011.560889
54.
MaC.LiuX.MengL.JiangY. (2025). Optimizing promotion effectiveness through timing: Leveraging promotion types aligned with temporal landmarks. Tourism Management, 110, 105198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105198
MaoW. (2016). Sometimes “fee” is better than “free”: Token promotional pricing and consumer reactions to price promotion offering product upgrades. Journal of Retailing, 92(2), 173–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2015.09.001
57.
MayerN. D.TormalaZ. L. (2010). “Think” versus “feel” framing effects in persuasion. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(4), 443–454. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167210362981
58.
MaZ.GillT.JiangY. (2015). Core versus peripheral innovations: The effect of innovation locus on consumer adoption of new products. Journal of Marketing Research, 52(3), 309–324. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.13.0337
59.
MishraA.MishraH. (2011). The influence of price discount versus bonus pack on the preference for virtue and vice foods. Journal of Marketing Research, 48(1), 196–206. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.48.1.196
60.
MukherjeeA.BurtonS.SmithR. J.IyerP. (2024). Can I choose my offer? How choice of a promotional offer impacts consumer evaluations and decisions. Journal of Retailing, 100(4), 549–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2024.09.001
61.
NicolauJ. L.SellersR. (2012). The free breakfast effect: An experimental approach to the zero price model in tourism. Journal of Travel Research, 51(3), 243–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287511418370
62.
PackardG.BergerJ. (2017). How language shapes word of mouth's impact. Journal of Marketing Research, 54(4), 572–588. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.15.0248
63.
PalmeiraM. M.SrivastavaJ. (2013). Free offer ≠ cheap product: A selective accessibility account on the valuation of free offers. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(4), 644–656. https://doi.org/10.1086/671565
64.
PauwelsK.WeissA. (2008). Moving from free to fee: How online firms market to change their business model successfully. Journal of Marketing, 72(3), 14–31. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.72.3.014
65.
PhamM. (1998). Representativeness, relevance, and the use of feelings in decision making. Journal of Consumer Research, 25(2), 144–159. https://doi.org/10.1086/209532
66.
PrebensenN. K.RosengrenS. (2016). Experience value as a function of hedonic and utilitarian dominant services. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(1), 113–135. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-02-2014-0073
67.
RyuK.HanH.JangS. (2010). Relationships among hedonic and utilitarian values, satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the fast-casual restaurant industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 22(3), 416–432. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596111011035981
68.
Shahid SameeniM.AhmadW.FilieriR. (2022). Brand betrayal, post-purchase regret, and consumer responses to hedonic versus utilitarian products: The moderating role of betrayal discovery mode. Journal of Business Research, 141, 137–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.019
69.
ShampanierK.MazarN.ArielyD. (2007). Zero as a special price: The true value of free products. Marketing Science, 26(6), 742–757. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1060.0254
70.
ShaoA.LiH. (2021). How do utilitarian versus hedonic products influence choice preferences: Mediating effect of social comparison. Psychology and Marketing, 38(8), 1250–1261. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21520
71.
SinhaI.SmithM. F. (2000). Consumers' perceptions of promotional framing of price. Psychology and Marketing, 17(3), 257–275. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1520-6793(200003)17:3<3.0.co;2-p
72.
SinhaS. K.VermaP. (2020). Impact of sales promotion's benefits on perceived value: Does product category moderate the results?Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101887
73.
SongM.NooneB. M.MattilaA. S. (2023). Cross-category add-on bundling: Impact of the consumption nature of bundled products on discount framing effectiveness. Journal of Travel Research, 62(1), 197–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211057599
74.
StrahilevitzM.MyersJ. (1998). Donations to charity as purchase incentives: How well they work may depend on what you are trying to sell. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 434–446. https://doi.org/10.1086/209519
75.
SuL.YeC.HuangY. (2024). Does destination nostalgic advertising enhance tourists’ intentions to visit? The moderating role of destination type. Tourism Management, 100, 104810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104810
TropeY.LibermanN. (2010). Construal-level theory of psychological distance. Psychological Review, 117(2), 440–463. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018963
78.
VossK. E.SpangenbergE. R.GrohmannB. (2003). Measuring the hedonic and utilitarian dimensions of consumer attitude. Journal of Marketing Research, 40(3), 310–320. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.40.3.310.19238
79.
WadhwaM.ZhangK. (2015). This number just feels right: The impact of roundedness of price numbers on product evaluations. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(5), 1172–1185. https://doi.org/10.1086/678484
80.
WeissteinF. L.MonroeK. B.Kukar-KinneyM. (2013). Effects of price framing on consumers’ perceptions of online dynamic pricing practices. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41, 501–514. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-013-0330-0
81.
WenH.LeeY. M. (2020). Effects of message framing on food allergy communication: A cross-sectional study of restaurant customers with food allergies. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89, 102401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102401
YangB.MattilaA. S. (2020b). How rational thinking style affects sales promotion effectiveness. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 84, 102335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102335
84.
ZhangX.GrisolíaJ. M.LaneT. D. T. (2023). Zero price effect on hotel demand: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment. Tourism Management, 96, 104692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104692
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
