Merchandising: The Merchandising School of O; or What I learned from observing Oprah Winfrey in action
When one of my clients, Lollia, a merchant of luxury bath products, was featured on both Oprah Winfrey’s “O List” (a monthly magazine column of her favorite products) and on her Christmas Special show, I got an inside glimpse of what can happen when the media mogul waves her magic merchandising wand and endorses someone’s products. Winfrey made Christmas come early and extravagantly for Lollia.
Lately I’ve been mindfully observing how Winfrey operates. And I’ve discovered some merchandising lessons that catalogers could borrow from her.
1. Winfrey has Passion with a capital “P.” Winfrey’s life is a dream come true story, and she looks to make dreams come true for others. Her generous spirit pervades all she does. She is an enthusiastic supporter of people and products. When she gets behind something, there’s no mistaking her energy and commitment. She doesn’t do things halfway.
Lesson: As you begin a new venture, launch a new product category or simply introduce this season’s new products, are you going all out in your commitment, or are you leaving some passion on the table?
2. She “gets” her audience. Winfrey started off her Christmas show, in which 300 teachers in the audience received more than $15,000 worth of presents, by saying how she had wanted to be a teacher. She also knew her audience well. She knew they were overworked and that they often spent their own money on school supplies. She knew they sometimes worked with outdated equipment. She understood them. She knew just what products they would love to see under the tree, what their “wish lists” were.
Lesson: How well do you know your customers? How much time do you spend getting to know their needs and desires?
3. Winfrey gets a little help from her friends. All the products she enthusiastically shares with her audience (from the Pontiac G6 cars to the Lollia bubble bath) are given away by the vendors. It’s estimated that Winfrey has parceled out more than $10 million worth of products to her guests. This is an example of excellent vendor-partner relationships, a true win-win for both of them. Vendors share products, Winfrey provides the forum and the “fairy dust.”
Lesson: Do you have true win-win relationships with your vendors? Are both parties benefiting exceedingly well? What could you do to intentionally enhance those relationships?
4. Winfrey sets trends. She is a risk-taker, a forward-thinker and a champion of the underdog. When she started her book club, she didn’t promote the same books all the big booksellers were. She followed her heart and reading interests, and through her choices, helped give recognition to authors who might never have been exposed to a national audience.
Here’s an example of what happens when Winfrey gets passionate about a particular book: “I first heard about ‘The Four Agreements’ when Ellen DeGeneres mentioned it on my show. By the end of the day, I had bought the book. By the next day, I had not only read it, I had bought 10 copies. The next week, I got a copy for everyone I knew, everyone in my office. So far I’ve bought 410 copies.” And that’sbefore book club fame.
Lesson: Are you setting trends or playing follow the leader? Are you taking risks with products, services and offers you believe in? Does it show?
5. Winfrey edits well. The product world understands her, because companies know her endorsement is golden. They inundate her with thousands of books, product ideas and vendor submissions. Each month for her magazine’s “O List,” Winfrey and her staff sort through all these submissions to narrow the list to five or six things she thinks are “just great.” Winfrey’s readers love this feature, because they know these products have been “O tested” and are crave-worthy. In addition to her “O List,” her book club has streamlined the selection process for numerous other book clubs across the nation. She is a fine editor on many levels. She understands that women are busy and appreciate a streamlined buying process, whether for fall clothes or for the next book to read.
Lesson: How are your editing abilities? Have you picked the best of the best for your offer? What’s your criteria? Have you “gifted” your customers by saving them time?
6. She knows that every day can be Christmas. Last year, Winfrey chose Nov. 22 to make Christmas happen for the teachers who wrote in to be on her show (they thought they were going to be on a show about teaching). She creates events with all the holiday hoopla that most people reserve for special occasions. Everything she does is buzz-worthy. She embraces all the senses and makes simple events days to remember.
Lesson: What are you doing now that can be turned into a holiday of sorts? How can you be part of your customers’ dreams coming true? What will get your customers talking about you?
No doubt about it, Oprah Winfrey is a merchandising genius. Her sixth sense is priceless. Her emotional branding is part of who she is and everything she does. Watch her and see what else you can learn.
Andrea Syverson is a right- and left-brained creative marketing strategist who helps her clients dream big. She is president of IER Partners, a catalog consultancy, and can be reached at asyverson@ierpartners.com.
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