Pollster Frank Luntz on the Power of Perception
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Pollster Frank Luntz’s mantra — “It’s not what you say; it’s what people hear” — isn’t revolutionary. But in an industry that can be easiily distracted by shiny new tech and content toys, he reminded the audience at the Holmes Report’s Global PR Summit in Miami that language is more capable of changing public opinion of a brand or politician than almost anything.
Among the examples he shared was a top-testing 2014 political campaign for Mitch McConnell, in which a cancer patient who could barely speak told a story about how the Kentucky senator stood up for locals who had been exposed to radiation and were ultimately diagnosed with cancer. At the end, the whispering patient said, “Having a strong voice matters.”
“McConnell has no personality,” exclaimed Mr. Luntz. “This ad makes him emotional. It makes him caring. It says that everyone, even those who don’t have a voice, have a voice. It’s what makes this ad so powerful.”
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