PUBLIC OPINION AND PERSUASION

“Public opinion is a collection of views held by persons interested in the subject.”

HOW EVENTS FORM PUBLIC OPINION

 Opinion is highly sensitive to events that have an impact on the public or a particular segment of
the public.

 Public opinion does not anticipate events. It only reacts to them.

 Events trigger formation of public opinion.

 Events of unusual magnitude are likely to swing public opinion temporarily from one extreme to
another.

ROLE OF OPINION LEADERS

 Opinion leaders—Five Traits:

 Highly interested in a subject or issue

 Better informed on an issue than average person

 Avid consumers of mass media

 Early adopters of new ideas

 Good organizers who can get other people to take action

 Two types of opinion leaders:

 Formal

 informal

Formal Opinion Leaders

 Formal opinion leaders are usually elected officials, presidents/CEOs of companies, or heads of
membership groups.

 News reporters often ask such people for statements when a specific issue relates to their
positions of responsibility, concern and/or expertise.

 People in formal leadership positions are also called “power leaders.”

Informal Opinion Leaders

  They may be role models who are admired and emulated or opinion leaders who can exert
pressure on others to go along with something.

 Informal opinion leaders exert considerable influence on their peer groups by being highly
informed, articulate, and credible on particular issues.

 Think about your own friends and peers who may influence your views on, say, music, fashion,
entertainment choices.

Opinion Leader Profile

 Active in the community

 Have a college degree

 Earn relatively high incomes

 Regularly read newspapers and magazines

 Actively participate in recreational activities

 Show environmental concern by recycling

The Media’s Role

 PR people are major players in forming public opinion because they often provide the mass
media with the information in the first place, theorists say.

 Some studies have found that as much as 50 percent of what the media carry comes from PR
sources.

PERSUASION

Persuasion means to induce someone to do something through reasoning or argument

PR is about “persuasive communications on behalf of clients.”

 Persuasion can be used to:

 change or neutralize hostile opinions

 crystallize latent (or already existing positive) opinions and positive attitudes

 conserve favorable opinions

Such messages often include information that appeals to an audience’s self-interest. Examples include:

 Make/Save Money, Save Time, Avoid Effort, More Comfort, Better Health, Cleaner, Escape Pain,
Gain Praise, Be Popular, Be Stylish, Be Safe/Secure, Make Work Easier, etc.
Persuasive Message Techniques:

 Drama– helps create interest and engage an audience

 Statistics– stats impress people. Use of numbers can convey objectivity, size, and importance in
a credible way that can influence public opinion

 Surveys and Polls– like stats, can impress but people should read the fine print

 Examples- opinions can be bolstered and be more persuasive if supported by examples

 Testimonials– using celebrity endorsers or victims/survivors can humanize message

 Endorsements– credibility through “third party endorsements” (can be, for example, doctors,
celebrities, national organizations, or media through editorials)

 Emotional Appeals– fundraising letters or commercials from nonprofit groups use this
persuasive device a lot