Advertising credibility across media channels

Abstract

Generation Y consumers have become an important consumer group and, as a result, theirperceptions of media credibility has become an important issue for many organisations andmedia planners. This study explores the credibility of traditional media advertising versus newmedia advertising, the credibility of broadcast-media advertising versus print-media advertising,the credibility of cellphone advertising versus Internet advertising, and the relationship betweenthe credibility of Internet advertising and likelihood of Generation Y consumers shopping online.The target audience comprises students between the ages of 18 and 30 years at one of thelargest residential universities in South Africa. Convenience sampling was used and a total of1 345 questionnaires were completed. Some of the results indicate that Generation Y consumersrate the credibility of traditional media higher than new media and that print media has highercredibility ratings compared with broadcast media.