The friend I was with explained that, no, actually PETA is very effective. Even if "everybody" hates PETA, many people think, "I hate PETA, but they have a point...".
They draw attention to practices many people do find abhorrent, even if the way they do it often makes people mad. You can hate PETA AND factory farms! Very wise middle of the road position.
Not interested in debating the effectiveness of PETA's tactics specifically. Just a general point about "radical" activism.