How the credibility of places affects the processing of advertising claims: A partial test of the B2B communication effects model

Abstract

Using an economic development context, this study tests a portion of the revised B2B communication effects model, which added source credibility as an antecedent to message processing. This exploratory study examines how the perceived credibility of a nation brand influences message persuasiveness under varying levels of argument quality and issue involvement. Applying dimensions of source credibility to place advertising, the research uses an online, between-subjects experiment with a sample of site-selection managers to measure their responses to foreign direct investment seeking advertisements. In nearly all conditions, results suggest source credibility by itself has a stronger influence over message persuasiveness than either argument quality or involvement.