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An article in today's Dallas Morning News discusses how she became a "powerful brand born of herself," expanding into every possible market she could. Her hard work clearly paid off, as her magazine, talk-show, and website all have become huge successes. You might even say everything Oprah touches has turned to gold. For example, who knew the names of Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, or even Nate Berkus before they became regular fixtures on her show? Today, all three have become household names and currently headline their own TV shows.
Of course, no one can forget Oprah's annual "Favorite Things" episodes, where audience members receive free products she claims to LOVE. Each year when I watch this episode I seem to forget how generous she is, and find myself instead focusing on how genius product placement can truly be. Each and every product featured on that special is guaranteed to sell out, which is why other companies fight to the death to get their product on her show!
Surely, everyone knows the power of Oprah and her cult-like following would only reiterate the idea that she is a TV powerhouse. But what can businesses trying to achieve her level of success learn from the household name?
1. Relate to your customers.
Oprah's fan base follows her every move because they feel connected to her in a way few others have been able to accomplish. Oprah shares her joys, struggles, thoughts, and even weight fluctuations on national television. Of course, I'm not telling you to publicize your Manager's weight problems; however, I am telling you to personalize the service you offer. Allow customer service reps to empathize with customers to let them know your company is there for support. The goal of any good company should be to form relationships, rather than transactions, with customers. Spending an extra minute with a customer on the phone or in person can really make a difference in their perceptions. When Oprah lets her audience (and millions of viewers) in on a personal secret, people feel even more emotionally connected to her both as a person and brand.
2. Find out what your customers want.
This rule should be a given; however, many companies don't truly know what their customers want. I will always remember what one of Marketing professors told me: "People buy benefits; they don't care about its features." This novel idea essentially discredits every car commercial ever made. As customers, we don't care about how many air bags the new model has. What we do care about is what those extra air bags will do for us. Rather than spending two minutes filming a car's interior leather, show us people enjoying its ability to clean easier or warm up their rears in the winter.
3. ....And then give it to them!
Oprah's show is a prime example of responding to what her customers want. This sort of behavior, in turn, empowers the customer to feel they play a role in the product's making. For example, when Oprah changed her hairstyle, people wrote in to tell her to change it back! I can't imagine thousands of housewives writing in to one of the most powerful people in the world, all telling her to fix her hair. The crazy thing is, however, that she did indeed change it back!
Companies can create their own way for customer interaction and empowerment. The most important step, however, is the final one. After you know what your customers want, show them you value their opinions and GIVE it to them. Really try to force your product to solve their ever-changing needs or else customers will find it elsewhere.
