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Psychology 06 of 10

Borrowed trust

Trust we already have in a person, a source or a format carries over to the ad.

01 What it is

Some formats look like a creator replying to a follower. That context carries a feeling of honesty and personal experience, so “honestly, this one” sounds like a recommendation instead of brand copy.

The product gains some of the trust associated with the person giving the answer. A third-party score or tester can do the same job when the ad says clearly whose number it is.

Borrowing only works if the source is real. Name it, date it and say what it covers.

02 How to spot it

A voice or badge the viewer already trusts: a friend in a chat, a creator answering a question, an independent tester named in the picture.

03 What it leans on

Our working term. Related to research on source credibility (Hovland and Weiss, 1951).

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