In competitive markets, firms employ marketing perks (e.g., unexpected free gifts) to develop customer relationships, though customers’ evaluations of the value of and intentions behind such promotions, and the resulting firm outcomes, remain unclear. To clarify the usefulness of free gifts, this study accounts for the potential effects of relational stages. With a randomized field experiment and four laboratory studies, the authors establish that matches (mismatches) between a gift’s perceived value and relational stages have beneficial (detrimental) effects on performance outcomes. Three relational zones (over-investment, under-investment, and targeted) emerge as relationships develop over time, and a system of mechanisms (gratitude, suspicion, unfairness) underlies the effectiveness of free gifts within each zone. Simultaneously, this research identifies two managerially relevant strategies—transparent firm communication and gift customization—that can mitigate the negative mechanisms.

在竞争激烈的市场中，公司利用营销福利（例如意想不到的免费礼物）来发展客户关系，尽管客户对此类促销活动背后的价值和意图的评估以及由此产生的公司结果仍不清楚。为了阐明免费礼物的用处，本研究考虑了关系阶段的潜在影响。通过随机现场实验和四项实验室研究，作者确定礼物的感知价值和关系阶段之间的匹配（不匹配）会对绩效结果产生有益（有害）影响。随着关系随着时间的推移而发展，三个关系区域（过度投资、投资不足和有针对性）出现，并且机制系统（感激、怀疑、不公平）构成了每个区域内免费礼物有效性的基础。同时，这项研究确定了两种与管理相关的策略——透明的公司沟通和定制礼品——可以减轻负面机制。