Few people want to admit they are strongly persuaded by celebrity endorsements, yet more than half find them at least somewhat believable. Consumers reveal a high level of distrust toward two much-maligned television formats, talk shows and infomercials. Direct mail is often criticized, and has one of the highest negative ratings. On the other hand, two-thirds find it at least somewhat believable, so don't throw it out of the marketing mix. Advertising's low credibility relative to other types of messages is not unexpected.
People are just naturally resistant to being persuaded.
The bottom line is that advertising works. Through sound strategy and creative execution, advertisers can clear the believability hurdle and persuade effectively. In addition to messages carried through the media, we should not ignore that people are often the most powerful sources of buying influence. Word of mouth is, after all, the oldest form of advertising. The chart on the left indicates that a recommendation from a friend carries more weight than just about any other source.