Exploratory Findings on the Attitudinal Effects of Super- and Poor-Levels of Direct Consumer Premium Desirability

Direct consumer premiums are one of the fastest growing and most important elements in the consumer sales promotion mix of U.S. packaged goods manufacturers (Blattberg and Neslin 1990; Shimp 1997). Direct consumer premiums are the most frequently used form of "nonmonetary" consumer sales promotion (Belch and Belch 1995). By definition, direct consumer premiums are package-related, free bonus items offered by manufacturers to consumers when they pay full price for a promoted product. Consumers receive direct consumer premiums as with- or near-pack incentives at the time of purchase. Strategically, direct consumer premiums are used to help introduce new products, to dislodge entrenched market leaders, and to generate higher consumer inventories of promoted products.