Young Opinion Elites an Important Audience for Businesses

The ninth annual Edelman Trust Barometer shows the United States is experiencing the widest divide between business and government in the survey’s nine-year history. 58% say they trust business to do what’s right, an all-time survey high.

Only 39% trust the government. Imagine that!

Twenty-five-to-34-year-old opinion elites, studied for the first time this year—and historically cynical about business—tend to trust business even more than their older counterparts in many regions of the globe.

“Business has a tremendous opportunity to tell its story through these young “info-entials” who are more likely to spread both positive and negative information about companies,” said Richard Edelman. 

The young elites can be found on social  networking sites.  Take care how you apprach them and how you deliver your content.

Eric Druckenmiller gives the rules of attraction for these young opinion elites:

1. Be genuine. Provide influencers with the opportunity to become informed (exclusive content, behind the scenes, background information, et cetera) on their terms
2. Be helpful. Influencers like to be the first to know and the first to tell. Give them the tools to share your content. 
3. Be subtle. Don't interrupt the experience, find ways to enhance it.

The PR world as we knew it changes more everyday. Partnering with the right agencies and employing the appropriate rules of engagement will be the challenge ahead, says Druckemiller.