A reference to another brand is a diagnostic cue for categorizing
information as “helpful” or “unhelpful” [73]. Explicitly referencing
other brands suggests that the reviewer has experience with the product
category and, therefore, is qualified to evaluate the product. Further,
comparing a product to another brand or brands should facilitate the
end goal of making a choice. These comparisons help shoppers rank
order options and rule out alternatives, regardless of whether the product
being reviewed dominates, or is dominated by, the referenced
brand(s). However, the effect of referring to other brands is likely to
differ by product type. Brand names tend to be more important to consumers
for experience goods than for search goods due to search goods'
tangible attributes and generally lower perceived risk [22]. For search
goods, risk is often sufficiently minimized through written marketing
communications [10], and consumers are less concerned about making
a mistake when choosing a brand [5]. However, when conveying the
essence of productswithwritten or quantifiable descriptions is difficult,
as with experience goods, brand names are more important to consumers