Coming soon in fall 2008: People do less research on products that have already launched

When a new product is released – say, an even slimmer laptop or the next generation iPhone – people either find out about it beforehand through an announcement or see it after it hits stores. Does when you hear about a product matter? A new study from the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that whether a new product is already available when people first find out about it can significantly alter how it is evaluated.