Isn’t it interesting that in our society today, we have become a bunch of freebie seekers. And yet, research has shown that we do not value free as much as we do paid services or products. Is this a personality disorder or at the very least a personality contradiction, or is it two different groups of people? Are there freebie seeking consumers and yet another set of consumers who believe that if it does not cost a lot it obviously is not worth anything?

Another interesting contradiction is this: Those same people who believe “free” is inferior, are thrilled when they win something, for example a free iPhone. All I can figure out is this.

When the price of an item, like an iPhone, has already been established, the value of receiving it free is obvious. The problem lies in products, particularly e-books, with no intrinsic value in the eye of the consumer. The price of such an item which is not found in stores, has not been set within the common marketplace. The price and therefore the perceived value need to be firmly established in the consumers’ mind before they will buy. This is the challenge everyday marketers face. It’s easy to see, then, why tangible goods fare better in some instances than digital goods. Just a little insight from your friendly Internet philosopher.