Sometimes, the hardest thing to say is “Goodbye!”
Oprah Winfrey doesn’t seem to be having any difficulty saying farewell. After 25 years on the air, a quarter century spent transforming first the talk show and then a good portion of American culture, Oprah is ending her daily television appearance. Star studded special editions of her final shows are being aired as these words are being written, each an extravagant indulgence—eagerly watched by legions of fans.
We’ve talked about Oprah before, and the smart, strategic route she took to create legions of loyal followers. Oprah’s fans have stood by her through good times and bad. Whether she was battling Texas cattle ranchers or dealing with misconduct in her African girl’s school, Oprah has been able to count on the support of her fervent fan base.
Oprah’s Next Adventure
Oprah’s next adventure is the OWN Channel. The Oprah Winfrey Network debuted in January 2011 to an estimated 80 million homes. Early reviews were generally kind and favorable. Caryn James, once of the NY Times, praised the station’s content as “a whiff of spirituality, a huge amount of life-style fluff, and a surprising layer of substance.”
However, ratings so far have not been impressive. CEO Christina Norman has just been fired. Oprah herself has said that she should not have timed the launch of the network at the same time she was leaving daytime. What’s it going to take to get the tremendous Oprah audience to embrace and support the OWN network?
Brand Modeling: Letting Your Brand Lover Be Your Guide
Oprah has achieved her position, a market dominance unmatched in the world, by methods easily recognizable by anyone familiar with Brand Modeling. First, Oprah has a deep, fundamental understanding of who her best customers are. The women who never miss a show, who traveled to Chicago to attend a taping, who read every book with the Book Club seal of approval and even tuned in to guru Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” are Oprah’s Brand Lovers—and they’re the women who have the power to make the OWN network a success.
Every organization has Brand Lovers. That’s good news, because Brand Lovers represent the most lucrative portion of your market. Not only do Brand Lovers do more business with you than any of your existing customers, they’re also more willing to do increasing amounts of business with you, if the opportunity presents itself. With a phenomenally successful legacy brand established, Oprah is counting on that possibility. Viewers who loved the Oprah show, especially those who can most accurately be described as Brand Lovers, should welcome the chance to experience more of the same.
What will make it work?
- Oprah’s personal presence: There’s no denying that a large part of the Oprah brand appeal is Oprah herself. It’s essential that Oprah increase her visibility on OWN. The promised 70 hours annually may not be enough for viewers accustomed to a daily diet of insight and advice.
- A continued focus on the aspirational, create-a-better-life programming that Oprah’s Brand Lovers value most. It wasn’t until Oprah switched from tabloid TV to a more inspirational, uplifting style of programming that her viewership exploded. Oprah has connected with a deep hunger for self-improvement and actualization. Continuing to feed that need with shows like Master Class and Why Not with Shania Twain is a smart, strategic way to keep Brand Lovers committed to the new brand—and enthusiastically telling their friends about it.