Last week, Oprah shocked her audience with the announcement that after twenty-five years on the “yellow brick road of blessings that led me to you,” she was quitting her top-rated “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in September 2011.
It’s a testament to her stature as a top entertainment “brand” that her announcement became a big news story. After all, she wasn’t leaving soon and she wasn’t abandoning the media world to meditate on a mountaintop. Oprah’s plan was to dedicate all her attention to her new cable venture, OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network.
Interestingly, when I did the research for my book, The Female Brand, Oprah was the Number 1 female businesswomen cited when I asked women, “Who do you look up to as a female role model or business leader?”
Oprah is clearly someone who has built a strong personal brand – so strong that you don’t have to use her last name. She is a leader in the entertainment industry and she’s someone who knows how to protect her brand. So what can we learn from this personal branding pro? Here’s my short list (and this list could go on and on):
• Don’t be afraid to change at the top of your game
Oprah is a master of quitting while she’s ahead. Making a move when you are at the top of your game is often a smart career strategy. I was on a business panel recently and one of my fellow panelists – an Executive Vice President at a well known bank – made the point that it’s counter intuitive, but the best time to make a career move is when you are thriving. Whether it’s a lateral move in your organization, or you’re trying to increase your responsibilities or move to a new experience, you have the most leverage and confidence when you are happy and doing well. Yet, that is time most of use don’t think of making any changes.
• Surround yourself with the best talent
Have the confidence to surround yourself with talented people. Look at all the talent that Oprah has launched – “Dr. Phil,” “Rachel Ray” and “Dr. Oz” shows all got their start with Oprah. It will not only make your team one to be envied, you’ll have a reputation as a true leadership brand – someone who creates a culture of leadership in the company.
• Have a different, authentic message
Be different is a cardinal rule of branding, yet one that is often neglected in this “me too” world. Oprah never went the exploitative interview approach of the Jerry Spinger show and others. Rather she traveled a different path focusing her brand around empowerment – what some have called a “unique blend of self-help spirituality and commercial flair” or the “mystical and the practical.” For a brand, she is unusual because the appeal of her brand message transcends race, age and economic circumstances.
• Innovate
Oprah created a book club in 1996 and helped get America reading and discussing books. (As any author knows, landing a slot of Oprah often leads to the best-seller charts.) Later she created “O, The Oprah Magazine” with Hearst as a print vehicle for her empowerment ideas. Recently, she championed the movie, “Precious,” as an executive producer.
• Admit your mistakes and move on
Most of us have had our share of failures and mistakes, and so has Oprah. But she quickly puts them behind her and moves on. One of her book choices, “A Million Little Pieces,” became a controversy when the author, James Frey, admitted writing fiction not memoir in key scenes, Oprah had Frey on her show and confronted him – and it became a ratings bonanza. Some of her ventures, like her philanthropic reality show on ABC, “the Big Give” flopped and was cancelled after one year.
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Like many of us, Oprah has had her share of diet successes and failures, but whatever her weight, she packages herself well with her own style – classic, clean lines with strong color.
Oprah has many leadership and branding tips we can all benefit from. And I’m sure I’ve missed some. Let me hear your thoughts.
