Abstract:

This is a true story about a pollster and a public policy advisor, who in a small project in the Fiji Islands put public opinion polling at the forefront of public debate at an international level. The project finally gave the people of Fiji a voice. The story twists and turns, including four sitting Prime Ministers, many nations, News Limited, academics, journalists, bloggers, and miles of spin. Public opinion polling is an important part of market research because it drives much of our public image as an industry. Rarely do we get the chance to put the science and rigour of this centre stage in an international public debate about market research.