We are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind. [1] In 1915, to prepare for the Ballets Russes' US tour, Sergei Diaghilev hired Bernays to convince American magazines to publish articles telling readers that ballet is fun to watch. Just as women supplement men in private life, so they will supplement men in public life by concentrating their organized efforts on those objects which men are likely to ignore. There is a tremendous field for women as active protagonists of new ideas and new methods of political and social housekeeping. When organized and conscious of their power to influence their surroundings, women can use their newly acquired freedom in a great many ways to mold the world into a better place to live in. [2] The old-fashioned propagandist, using almost exclusively the appeal of the printed word, tried to persuade the individual reader to buy a definite article, immediately. This approach is exemplified in a type of advertisement which used to be considered ideal from the point of view of directness and effectiveness:

The modern business guru Simon Sinek gives some great advice related to this: “Very few companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. When I say WHY, I don’t mean to make money—that’s a result. By WHY I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief? WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed in the morning? And WHY should anyone care?” The systematic study of mass psychology revealed to students the potentialities of invisible government of society by manipulation of the motives which actuate man in the group. [2] The claims may all be true, but they are in direct conflict with the claims of other piano manufacturers, and in indirect competition with the claims of a radio or a motor car, each competing for the consumer's dollar.

Bernays once engineered a "pancake breakfast" with vaudevillians for Calvin Coolidge in what is widely considered one of the first overt publicity stunts for a US president. And by that definition, propaganda will never die. The methods of communication will change, but the core ideas of propaganda will always be used. The propaganda techniques that Bernays wrote about 100 years ago are still effective today. Even though the ways we communicate have changed dramatically—from newspapers and radios, to smartphones and podcasts. If, for instance, I want to sell pianos, it is not sufficient to blanket the country with a direct appeal, such as: It is chiefly the psychologists of the school of Freud who have pointed out that many of man's thoughts and actions are compensatory substitutes for desires which he has been obliged to suppress. A thing may be desired not for its intrinsic worth or usefulness, but because he has unconsciously come to see in it a symbol of something else, the desire for which he is ashamed to admit to himself. A man buying a car may think he wants it for purposes of locomotion, whereas the fact may be that he would really prefer not to be burdened with it, and would rather walk for the sake of his health. He may really want it because it is a symbol of social position, an evidence of his success in business, or a means of pleasing his wife.

High-spotting is a public relations technique where you direct public attention to specific things, things you want to represent your whole reputation. You could organize a dramatic visual demonstration, build an outstanding flagship product, or take a strong symbolic stand. 5. Mental Clichés: Provoking a mass reaction starts with understanding people’s pre-existing ideas Society is better understood not as millions of individuals, but as thousands of overlapping groups: The newer salesmanship, understanding the group structure of society and the principles of mass psychology, would first ask: "Who is it that influences the eating habits of the public?" The answer, obviously, is: "The physicians." The new salesman will then suggest to physicians to say publicly that it is wholesome to eat bacon. He knows as a mathematical certainty, that large numbers of persons will follow the advice of their doctors, because he understands the psychological relation of dependence of men upon their physicians.

No serious sociologist any longer believes that the voice of the people expresses any divine or specially wise and lofty idea. The voice of the people expresses the mind of the people, and that mind is made up for it by the group leaders in whom it believes and by those persons who understand the manipulation of public opinion. It is composed of inherited prejudices and symbols and clichés and verbal formulas supplied to them by the leaders. [2] Bernays worked with Procter & Gamble for Ivory-brand bar soap. The campaign successfully convinced people that Ivory soap was medically superior to other soaps. He also promoted soap through sculpting contests and floating contests because the soap floated better than its competitors'. This point is most important in successful propaganda work. The leaders who lend their authority to any propaganda campaign will do so only if it can be made to touch their own interests. There must be a disinterested aspect of the propagandist's activities. In other words, it is one of the functions of the public relations counsel to discover at what points his client's interests coincide with those of other individuals or groups. Bernays applied the techniques he had learned in the CPI and, incorporating some of the ideas of Walter Lipmann, became an outspoken proponent of propaganda as a tool for democratic and corporate manipulation of the population. His 1928 bombshell Propaganda lays out his eerily prescient vision for using propaganda to regiment the collective mind in a variety of areas, including government, politics, art, science and education. To read this book today is to frightfully comprehend what our contemporary institutions of government and business have become in regards to organized manipulation of the masses.

If people mostly adopt the ideas of the groups they belong to, then do they think at all? Maybe not. In 1997, there was Apple’s “Think Different” advertising campaign. These ads featured no products, but only the faces of inspiring heroes like Mahatma Gandhi. The goal was to connect the values of those people with the Apple brand. High-Spotting. This is pointing people’s attention towards specific things, things that you want to represent your whole business. I find this one really fascinating, so let’s talk more about it…Ask: What is ONE thing you could offer that is NEW and UNIQUE? Most beginner entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to make their product appeal to everybody, but they end up speaking to nobody. Why do we listen to leaders? Because modern life is too complicated! For example, most of us don’t have time to carefully research important economic issues. So we rely on others to do the work and present us with a simplified decision: Do you want to vote for the red party or the blue party? This system makes democracy practical for the average person and helps society function smoothly. Eventually people like Bernays gave up trying to save the word propaganda, and switched to “public relations.” Any person or organization depends ultimately on public approval, and is therefore faced with the problem of engineering the public’s consent to a program or goal. [2]

Go 1.5x speed or faster. Do you usually listen to audiobooks or podcasts at a faster speed. We've got that feature, too.To stand out from competitors. If businesses compete to have the lowest price, there is eventually no more profit margin. Public relations allows them to instead compete based on values. Let me put this in a more simple way… sectetur adipiscing elit. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. Pellentesque dapibus efficitur laoreet. Nam risus ante, dapibus a molestie consequat, ultrices ac magna. Fusce dui lectus, congue vel laoreet ac, dictum vitae odio. Donec aliquet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam lacinia pulvinar tortor nec facilisis. Pellentesque dapibus efficitur laoreet. Nam risus ante, dapibus a molestie consequat, ultrices ac magna. Fusce dui lectus, congue vel laoreet ac, dictum vitae odio. Donec aliquet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, cons The following is a list of public relations, propaganda, and marketing campaigns orchestrated by Edward Bernays (22 November 1891 – 9 March 1995). Interest-based groups, for people who share the same passion, hobby, or sport. Like a book club or hunting association. For politics. He believed that politicians had a duty to be leaders, not just followers of popular opinion. And the most effective way to lead public thought is not with direct argument, but using propaganda techniques like dramatic demonstration and group association.