The Art of Shaping Public Opinion

The link between marketing and psychology seems regularly neglected in today's best-selling marketing books. To truly grasp how layering the two together works, one must travel back to books written when advertising and public relations were being pioneered, developed, and perfected.

Propaganda is one such book.

Edward Bernays, known today as the 'father of public relations' gave us this gem in 1928. In it, Bernays takes us through the history of propaganda, the term used to explain the process of shaping public opinion for the masses in areas like politics, business, art, science, healthcare, and education.

Never before have I read a book so upfront in explaining what we know but consciously deny – we are manipulated by government, by business, by the media for government and business, and by unseen mechanisms of society which are collectively considered the true ruling power of America.

In Bernays' time, those were powerful families such as the Vanderbilt's, the Rockefeller's, the DuPont's, and many others. When we leap forward to our modern times, just check the 2025 Forbes World's Billionaires List and filter down to USA.

There you have a microcosm of the true ruling power of our country.

Bernays suggests this happens for several reasons.

• Most Americans lack the ability to think critically.
• The small (in numbers only) ruling class finds it easy to do.
• This is a logical path for us to remain organized in a democratic society.

His reasons remain true today.

How Universal Literacy Made Us Easier to Control

Bernays surfaces headlines taken from page one of The New York Times over a hundred years ago. The headlines read:

• OUR LIVING STANDARDS HIGHEST IN HISTORY, SAYS HOOVER REPORT
• TWELVE NATIONS WARN CHINA REAL REFORM MUST COME BEFORE THEY GIVE RELIEF

Both of these articles were written to influence the public toward an opinion, starting with their headlines. Yet, most readers never pick up on the skillfulness used to move their opinions in preferred directions and Bernays thinks the educated are easier to sway than the uneducated.

Newspapers today aren't the main source of news for most Americans. They've been supplanted by social media and podcasts. These new media channels are steadily done away with masking their desire to manipulate you.

Talking heads, real professionals, and average Joe's with smartphones, have professed opinions which are broadcast to their converted believers.

Then and now, viewing or reading, the wise should always be asking, "Who is behind this content? And, how might they benefit from shaping my opinion?"

Turning back to his point on a well education society. Bernays speaks about a time when universal literacy seemed like the path to empowering the common man and then gives us the intended consequences.

"Universal literacy was supposed to educate the common man to control his environment. Once he could read and write he would have a mind fit to run. So ran the democratic doctrine. But instead of a mind, universal literacy has given him rubber stamps, rubber stamps inked with advertising slogans, with editorials, with published scientific data, with trivialities of the tabloids and the platitudes of history, but innocent of original thought." Edward Bernays

Those words are more telling today, in a world where we're drowning in information and propaganda during our every waking moment. Facts have proven useless in universe where our beliefs and biases dominate perceptions of reality.

How It All Started

He learned the lessons needed to become one of the giants in public relations through his involvement with the U.S. Committee of Public Information (CPI), a government agency created by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917.

CPI, a designated propaganda machine, successfully used the media channels open to them at the time to shift public opinion on an unpopular war. By the end of the war, American patriotism skyrocketed.

Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, understood ahead of most others that the ideas of public relations are predicated on sound psychology based on enlighted self-interest.

To be a top-performer in public relations – you must understand the true motives of those you're planning to influence and not accept the reasons they give for what they do.

In shaping opinions and moving groups of people to positions more favorable to your ideas, your policies, your opinions, your enterprise, or your product – begin by asking, "What's in their self-interest?"

How to Reach the Masses Through the Few

Instead of attempting to shape public opinions for a group based on what they've stated in polls and surveys, or spoken in focus groups filled with strangers – collect and analyze data, observe behavior.

The effort must also be made to uncover what's in their self-interest and validate what you learn with them the best way possible.

Social platforms offer a window. This means come out of your preferred bubble in social media spaces.

Step into different social platforms and places with people you'd never surround yourself with normally to hear opinions you don't value. Active listening is how you validate the hypothesis you have on their self-interest.

Bernays explains how he proceeded in his work with his clients.

"His next effort is to analyze his public. He studies the groups which must be reached, and the leaders through whom he may approach these groups. Social groups, economic groups, geographical groups, age groups, language groups, doctrinal groups, cultural groups, all these represent his divisions through which, on behalf of his client, he may talk to the public." Edward Bernays

The art of persuasion and shaping public opinions, must be built on influencing the groups in which individuals belong and rely on both culturally, socially, and economically, to guide their large and small decisions in life.

Patience Lacking in the Marketing World

Within enterprises today, large and small, public relations professionals are hampered by one main thing — time.

Secondly, with average tenure for most of these professionals being down to three years, nobody can build strategies and plans beyond one year.

Propaganda repeatedly guides us through amazing shifts in public opinion for numerous efforts, but underneath what we read — those like me who have worked in the marketing world know it takes two, three years to bring about these results.

Bernays walks through one specific example for a shoe manufacturer who made shoes for police officers, fire fighters, mail carriers, and other similar occupations. He details the creation of a bureau on foot protection who later disseminates scientifically accurate information on proper foot care, and the proper construction of shoes.

These reports land in the hands of police chiefs, fire chiefs, civic bodies, and all groups with the power to influence the buying decisions of those who work in these occupations. The ultimate result being much more shoes sold.

Now, what we don’t get from Bernays retelling, exactly how long it took to go from beginning to shoes sold. It’s safe to assume this was a multi-year project.

In our fast-paced world, executives want these results in six months, and perhaps with ceaseless great communication to executive leadership — a full one year span might be granted.

Worth the Read

One of the principles embedded in all aspects of marketing now is the importance of educating your audience, delivering top-notch service and value at every turn.

Propaganda brings us back to the starting with deeply understanding their self-interest and what groups can influence them.

In tandem with that, he points out multiple times that you must focus on shifting the opinions of the "chosen few" who influence your targets to really mold them in the desired direction.

This is indeed a read well worth your time. His insights on the political world alone, make this a must read.