When most of us think of
persuasion we think it’s somewhat
devious or manipulative, which it certainly can be if it’s used to make people
harm themselves (luckily, PR has a very clear code of
ethics), but it’s really a useful tool
to educate consumers and eliminate ignorant beliefs.
Even studying PR I am not immune to external
influence and here are some of my experiences (public figure/brand, consumer
decision, and opinion) that have been shaped by the art of persuasion.
As a child I distinctly remember sitting in my hallway watching my mother’s
taped Oprah shows, and I only watched because I was waiting to get to the
episode of
"Days of our Lives".
My opinion of
Oprah was always one of indifference
until I became news-literate and developed a new appreciation for her.
For the last 20 years her message has been
complete and consistent.
She has built
an empire through broadcasted messages of personal empowerment, invoked the support of
celebrities and other key influencers, and provided evidence it all works.
Even when
Kitty Kelley released an
unauthorized biography bashing Oprah, my opinion of her remained
unchanged.
Her response with
acknowledgement, humor, and ultimately a ‘let’s move on’ attitude really
solidified my respect for her. If Oprah had not done such an amazing job of
developing her brand the biography could have caused some major damage.
I was looking for a savings account that would provide a lot of freedom yet
security in a relatively unsure economy, all with minimal fees.
There were so many options on the market,
both available publically and privately, and I was really torn on what would
work best for me. I am definitely not an expert on the issue so I went to sources
I respected like
Golden
Girl Finance and
Gordon
Pape for their advice, and researched their suggested options.
Their opinions on
Tax Free Savings Accounts
were solely responsible in my savings account decision.
If you had asked my opinion on
genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) a few years ago you would have received an earful
from me.
A very good friend of mine
started working for a company that is considered an industry leader within the province
and during a friendly debate (albeit a heated one) provided a convincing
argument with some irrefutable proof of its benefits. Her word and argument
alone weren’t enough to sway me because I thought she was likely very biased,
but it was enough for me to want to look into it further.
Now if you were to ask me about GMOs you
would get a different earful.
The majority of what you read online, watch on TV, or hear on the radio is deliberately
presented to you in an attempt to form your personal views and
opinions. Even seemingly unbiased items have seeds of persuasion embedded
in them. There are a myriad of sides to every person, product, brand, or issue. You don't need to be a pro to know when someone is trying to persuade you, or to try to persuade someone else. Questioning what you are told or read with thorough research
will ensure you're always correctly informed, and will also help you inform (and likely persuade) those around you.
