Halo Effect
We are easily influenced by someone or something with a positive reputation.
The research
In a study with restaurants, researchers found that when a restaurant is perceived as being 'healthy', customers underestimated the calories by 35% in their meal. When a main course was branded as 'healthy', customers chose beverages, side dishes and desserts containing 131% more calories than the main course because they still believed they were eating healthy.
Chandon, P. et al. (2007). The biasing health halos of fast-food restaurant health claims. Journal of Consumer Research
Your first impression of a thing sets up your subsequent beliefs.
Pro tip
Beware of the opposite i.e. 'the horn effect'. Things can be deemed undesirable when associated with something perceived as negative.
Thought starters
Leverage positive attributes of your people or brand to persuade people
Ask people and organisations with a positive reputation in their respective fields to support your offering