The Hand, the Bill… or Both? The Role of Credibility in Handbill Acceptance

Handbills are paper advertisements that are distributed by hand to pedestrians. What roles do the credibility of the distributor and the credibility of the handbill have in the probability that a handbill offered will be accepted? Street intercept interviews with 223 pedestrians in Hong Kong showed that distributor credibility positively predicted handbill acceptance, but the credibility of the handbill itself mediated this relationship. Environmental concerns moderated the relationship between handbill credibility and handbill acceptance. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for advertisers, and a platform is sketched for future researchers to build on.