Final answer:
Companies target opinion leaders for marketing attention because they have the ability to influence the purchasing decisions of others due to their credibility and the trust they have with their followers. Leveraging these leaders can amplify a product's or service's appeal to a broader audience. This strategy is especially effective in the age of social media where influencers have extensive reach.
Step-by-step explanation:
Companies target opinion leaders for marketing attention because these individuals can significantly shape the opinions and purchasing behavior of others. An opinion leader is a person who can influence others' attitudes or behaviors; these can be public figures such as presidents and journalists or individuals like a knowledgeable neighbor or a popular figure on social media. They can be seen as near-by influencers who directly or indirectly affect the decision-making process of people within their circle of influence. Such influencers are thought to have credibility and the trust of their audience. By focusing marketing efforts on these opinion leaders, companies hope to leverage their influence to sway the opinions of a larger audience in favor of their products or services.
This approach is increasingly being used as people tend to trust the opinions of those they consider informed and similar to themselves. Moreover, with the rise of digital media and the influence of social networks, the ability for these opinion leaders to reach a wide audience has been amplified, making their endorsement even more valuable for companies seeking to expand their market reach. This is a powerful marketing tool because it takes advantage of the trust that followers have in the opinion leaders, aiming to translate that trust into the adoption of products or services that are endorsed.