Public appeal put business on strike (3,6)
I believe the answer is:
box office
'public appeal' is the definition.
(box office can mean level of appeal to audiences)
'business on strike' is the wordplay.
'business' becomes 'office' (office is a kind of business).
'on' says to put letters next to each other.
'strike' becomes 'box'.
'office' after 'box' is 'BOX-OFFICE'.
'put' is the link.
(Other definitions for box office that I've seen before include "Place where theatre tickets are purchased" , "ability to draw an audience" , "Where tickets are sold in a theatre" .)