Dictionary of Marketing Terms: credibility
credibility
degree to which a communicator or communication is believed by the recipient. Credibility is particularly important when the message to be conveyed varies substantially from the recipient's current beliefs or attitudes. The credibility of such a message will be increased if delivered by a communicator who is expert, trustworthy, and appealing. A message may be credible if only two of the three criteria for the communicator are met, provided the two criteria hold dominance in that context. For example, many voters will take political advice from a celebrity who is considered trustworthy and appealing despite the celebrity's lack of political expertise, but they would probably not take medical advice from that celebrity.
