JoAnn Holley

I have to travel to New York from South Carolina unexpectedly for my father’s triple- bypass surgery. The decision to take the 17 hour drive after already putting in a full day at work or trying to get on an airplane is not easy. There are pros and cons and limitations for both. I usually work better under pressure. Well, maybe not better, but faster. Time constraints under emergency situations can often put you into that decision out of lack of options. You go with what is available.

My TV in the background has CNBC doing a story on Oprah and the success companies gain after an appearance on her show. One particular company, LAFCO, spent 7 years trying to get a spot on there. Once they did, they also spent $15,000 on gifts for the audience. Really?!? Having to take out a bank loan to give 420 strangers free gifts? Who made that decision? Actually, it was more like an investment toward guaranteed success. Their sales peaked at 1 million dollars within 30 days of appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show. Once I heard those numbers I thought it was great that their diligence paid off for them.

But who makes that decision?

I have a hard enough time trying to make emergency travel plans with just myself involved. Why does the typical consumer put so much stock into Oprah’s opinion of new products? Any product she likes or uses is immediately a success. I understand she is probably used to only the finest of things and that must be a prerequisite for anything even coming close to her trying it. But an opinion is just an opinion, and everyone has one.

Consumers today will value her opinion over someone they actually know. Having Oprah endorse your product is just like cashing a check, a really big check. With so many options available I think we look to the Oprah’s to make these choices for us. She does the leg work and experiments with it and then gives us the green light to go ahead and buy. We value her opinion, for whatever reason, and go with it. We don’t second guess it or think twice about it. We just know if Oprah likes it, it is great. She makes the right choices and we all should follow. I wonder if she would take the drive or try to get a flight right now? Hmmm… I should give her a call.

Why does Oprah get to decide the fate of a company she has no involvement with?

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