Social validation
(Appeals to conformity,
peer pressure, popularity)

"Testimonials are frequently used by advertisers in newspapers and magazines and can be a very effective part of the sales presentation."
- Pederson, Wright, Weitz (1984)

"The Testimonial

"The company people always tell us that these drugs work but, I gotta tell you, doctor, I really was convinced when my father starting taking it."

The testimonial is a very persuasive form of communication. It takes an abstract idea and personalises it, allowing us to react on a concrete level. Drug studies help us with decisions, but they tend to have been conducted "out there" somewhere and may not seem to apply within our own realm.

In addition to the pharmaceutical representative's, providing the testimonial, solicited testimonials may also be used: "Have you had success with (my drug)?" It is difficult to argue with our own success even if, in terms of study design, the sample size is small, the study unblinded, and the outcome difficult to measure."
- Shaughnessy et al (1994)

Pederson, Wright, Weitz. Selling: principles and methods. 8^th Ed Homewood, Illinois. Irwin 1984
Shaughnessy AF, Slawson DC, Bennett JH. Separating the wheat from the chaff: identifying fallacies in pharmaceutical promotion. J Gen Intern Med 1994;9:563-8.