Quality, value, satisfaction, trust, a

5.1. Intangibility: Brand and Generic Product Categories (H1, H2, and H3)
The proposed differences between the generic and brand perspectives for the three dimensions of
intangibility (H1 to H3) held true for services. Physical and mental intangibility for both the checking
account and the pizzeria dinner were lower for the branded services as opposed to the generic ones. While
generality showed the same result for the pizzeria dinner, the Royal Bank checking account appeared as
more general than the generic option. Perhaps the specific nature of the service (i.e., checking account),
along with the online purchase scenario, reduce the impact of the brand on consumers’ perceived
generality compared with the generic option. Our reasoning follows from the fact that the Internet allows
consumers to access detailed and specific information relating to products and services (Hoffman and
Novak 1996).
For almost all the products studied, the brand increased all three dimensions of consumers’
perceived intangibility. A possible explanation for these unexpected results stems from the Internet’s
ability to reduce generality and mental intangibility, especially in a generic context, by efficiently
distributing product-related information to consumers (Hoffman and Novak 1996). All branded goods
were also rated as more physically intangible than the generic counterparts. Regarding the internet
browser, Goutaland (1999) found as physically intangible as other services (i.e., charter flight for a
vacation). It is therefore not surprising to find the Internet browser mimicking the services studied on the
brand-generic category comparison. Respondents perceived all three goods (i.e., a pair of Jeans, a
computer, and a CD) as more physically intangible in a branded context as opposed to a generic one. This
phenomenon may be partly due to the underlying impact of the Internet, which increases physical
intangibility and prevents consumers from having a sensory experience. Respondents’ online purchase
experience may also explain this finding for their online purchase frequency of generic products was
higher than that of branded ones.
5.2. Intangibility, Knowledge, and Involvement: Difficulty of Evaluation (H4a, H5a, and H6a)
Finding support for H4a, H5a, and H6a, we conclude that the three dimensions of intangibility,
knowledge, and involvement are positively related with difficulty of evaluation. The real contribution of
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