Oprah Winfrey - The Story of an EntrepreneurThe Oprah/Harpo Empire Contd...Analysts noted that though the market was down and many magazines had posted losses in 2001, 'O's advertising revenues increased by 43% over its revenues in 2000. 'O's paid-up circulation amounted to an estimated 2.5 million copies, which was more than that of leading magazines such as Vogue or Martha Stewart Living. 'O' targeted the premium segment, which had an average income of $63,000 and patronized premium brands such as Lexus, Coach and Donna Karan (which were key advertisers for 'O'). Oprah described 'O' as a personal growth manual and took an active part in the content development of the magazine. Analysts remarked that 'O' was a reflection of Oprah's personality. The success of 'O' was primarily attributed to Oprah's popularity.
The show appealed primarily to women in the age group of 30 to 50 years. Since most of the audience was from the middle class, the show attracted huge advertising revenues from companies such as Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and Sears. Oprah – The EntreprenuerDespite the fact that she was the owner of a huge business empire, Orpah reportedly did not even know how to read a balance sheet and did not follow any corporate models. She had declined offers from many companies such as AT&T, Intel and Ralph Lauren to be on their boards, stating that 'she did not understand what she would do on their boards.' Oprah was once reported to have hoarded $50 million in cash, which she called her personal 'bag-lady fund,' as she was afraid of investing in the stock market, being totally ignorant about it. Interestingly, she did not like being referred to as a businesswoman. Oprah Winfrey - The Story of an Entrepreneur - Next Page >>> |
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