A Hong Kong study of advertising credibility

Purpose – The aim of the research reported in this paper was to identify for which types of products and services consumers find the advertising to lack credibility and in which media this effect is most serious. The association between self‐esteem and skepticism towards advertising was also explored.Design/methodology/approach – Using a structured questionnaire, 200 Hong Kong shoppers were surveyed in mall intercept interviews.Findings – The results showed that ads for weight‐loss products were considered the least credible. The broadcast media (radio, broadcast television and cable television) were considered the most credible advertising media, while direct mail and the internet were considered the least credible. Self‐esteem was found to be positively related with skepticism towards advertising.Research limitations/implications – The study had two key limitations. First, the list of products and services was not exhaustive. Second, the study did not consider how frequently the interviewees were expose...

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