Opinion Leadership

OPINION LEADERSHIP
Opinion leadership (word of mouth communication) is the process which one person ( the
opinion leader) informally influence the action or attribute of others, who may be opinion
seekers or opinion recipients. The key characteristic of the influence is that it is interpersonal and
informal and takes place between two or more people none of whom represents a commercial
selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something word of mouth implies
personal or face to face communication although it may also take place in a telephone
conversation or within the context of e mail or a chat group on the internet.
One of the parties in a word of mouth encounter usually offers advice or information about a
product or service, such as which of several brands is best or how a particular product may be
used.
Market researcher identify opinion leaders by such methods as self designation key informants’
the sociometric method, and the objective method. Studies of opinion leadership indicate that
this phenomenon tends to be product category in which they are highly interested. An opinion
leader for one product category may be an opinion receiver for another.
The opinion leadership process usually takes place among friends’ neighbors and work
associates who have frequent physical proximity and thus have ample opportunity to hold
informal product related conversations. These conversations usually occur naturally in the
context of the product-category usage.
DYNAMIC OF THE OPINION LEADERSHIP PROCESS
 CREDIBILITY
 POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PRODUCT INFORMATION
 INFORMATION AND ADVICE
 OPINION LEADERSHIP IS CATEGORY SPECIFIC
 OPINION LEADERSHIP IS A TWO-WAY STREET
THE NEED OF THE OPINION LEADERSHIP
Are you willing to purchase bike in near future?
Yes
No
If no go to the last question
2. Mention your preferred brand?
3. Can anyone change your decision of purchase bike?
Yes
No
4. Specify the person that makes a change in your decisions.
5. Tike the charactustic of a person (opinion leader) which influences your decision.
 Experience
 Credibility
 Positive and negative product information
 Information and advice
 Opinion leadership is category specific
 Opinion leadership is a two way street
A Two-Step Flow of Influence?

Opinion-Leader Campaigns on Climate Change
1. Matthew C. Nisbet1 and
2. John E. Kotcher2
+Author Affiliations
1. 1American University, Washington, DC, [email protected]
2. 2National Academies, Washington, DC
Abstract
In this article, we review concepts, measures, and strategies that can be applied to opinion-leader
campaigns on climate change. These campaigns can be used to catalyze wider political engagement on
the issue and to promote sustainable consumer choices and behaviors. From past research, we outline
six relevant categories of self-designated opinion-leaders, detailing issues related to identification,
recruitment, training, message development, and coordination. We additionally analyze as prominent
initiatives Al Gore's The Climate Project and his more recent We campaign, which combines the
recruitment of digital opinion-leaders with traditional media strategies. In evaluating digital opinion-leader
campaigns, we conclude that there are likely to be significant trade-offs in comparison to face-to-face
initiatives. The challenge for both scholars and practitioners is to understand under what conditions are
digital opinion-leaders effective and in which ways can online interactions strengthen or build on real-
world connections.
A randomized trial of opinion leader endorsement in a
survey of orthopaedic surgeons: effect on primary
response rates
1. Mohit Bhandari1,
2. PJ Devereaux1,
3. Marc F Swiontkowski2,
4. Emil H Schemitsch3,
5. Ketan Shankardass1,
6. Sheila Sprague1 and
7. Gordon H Guyatt1
+Author Affiliations
1. Departments of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Orthopaedic Surgery, McMaster University,
1
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

2. 2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
3. 3St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1. Correspondence: Mohit Bhandari, McMaster University Health Sciences Center, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and
Biostatistics, Room 2C3, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3Z5, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]
 Accepted February 10, 2002.
Abstract
Background Opinion leaders have been shown to have significant influence on the practice of health professionals and patient
outcomes.
Methods Using focus groups, key informants, and sampling to redundancy techniques, we developed a questionnaire of surgeons’
preferences in the treatment of tibial shaft fractures. Twenty-two well-respected and widely known orthopaedic traumatologists endorsed
the questionnaire. We randomized 395 surgeon members of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association to receive either a questionnaire that
included a letter informing them of the opinion leaders’ endorsement, or a questionnaire without the endorsement.
Results Surgeons who received the letter of endorsement had a significantly lower response rate at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. The absolute
difference in response rates was 7.8% (4.6% versus 12.4%, P < 0.05) at 2 weeks, 13.1% at 4 weeks (28.6% versus 41.7% P < 0.02), and
12.3% at 8 weeks (47.5% versus 59.8% P = 0.02).
Conclusions The addition of a letter listing expert surgeons who endorse the survey lead to significantly lower primary response rates.
Those interested in influencing physician responses cannot always assume a positive effect from endorsement by opinion leaders
Political awareness, elite opinion leadership, and the mass survey response
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
ZALLER J. (1) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

(1)
Univ. California, Los Angeles CA, ETATS-UNIS
Résumé / Abstract
Political awareness affects virtually every aspect of citizens' political attitudes and voting behavior. Among its
effects are greater attitude stability, greater ideological consistency, and greater support for a nation's
«mainstream» values. Yet there exists no comprehensive explanation of why political awareness has the pervasive
effects that it has. Nor is there agreement on how the concept of political awareness should be conceptualized
and measured. This article addresses both concerns

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What are some methods used to identify opinion leaders?

What are some characteristics of the opinion leadership process?

OPINION LEADERSHIP

DYNAMIC OF THE OPINION LEADERSHIP PROCESS

THE NEED OF THE OPINION LEADERSHIP

Are you willing to purchase bike in near future?

2. Mention your preferred brand?

3. Can anyone change your decision of purchase bike?

4. Specify the person that makes a change in your decisions.

A Two-Step Flow of Influence?

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

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