Oprah Winfrey - The Story of an Entrepreneur

Oprah – The Entreprenuer Contd...

Oprah won the audience's trust by sharing her personal experiences with them on daytime TV to help them deal with their problems and become accountable for their own lives. This strategy reportedly kept Oprah ahead of her competitors. Analysts believed that Oprah was reluctant to lose control of her brand because she was aware of its power. Oprah consistently refused requests from major companies to use her name on their products, such as perfumes, clothing, books and food. One of the Oprah's friends remarked that everybody wanted 'a part of Oprah's brand' but she was not ready to cede control over it. Analysts said that though some of her competitors (such as Martha Stewart) had lent their name to various products, Oprah firmly refused to do so.

Since, many of the products marketed by celebrities had failed in the market, analysts felt that Oprah was right in refusing to dilute her 'brand equity.' Oprah was also against taking the Harpo Group public, she held 90% of the Harpo Group herself. She claimed that by selling her name or a part of her business, she would be 'selling herself.' In Oprah's words, "If I lost control of the business, I would lose myself or at least the ability to be myself. Owning myself is a way to be myself." This clearly indicated how the lady perceived her businesses and the extent to which her businesses were based on Oprah herself. Analysts felt that Jeff's business acumen also contributed greatly to Harpo's success. Oprah and Jeff were rather an odd pair to be running a business as both had very different management styles. According to analysts, Oprah followed a management-by-instinct technique and took all her decisions on the basis of her gut feelings, while Jeff believed in careful planning and execution.

While Jeff described Harpo's strategy as multipurposing the content in various media, Oprah explained it as reaching out to a larger audience (through different media) to help people better their lives. However, the success of Harpo Group made it evident that the relationship worked. According to company sources, Jeff acted as Oprah's strategic advisor and dealmaker. In Oprah's words, "He is a piranha and that is a good thing for me to have." Remembering his meeting with Jeff and his commitment towards Oprah, Iger said, "I remember being put off initially, but Jeff Jacobs has one thing in mind: his client. And he serves her very well."

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Case Details

Case Code : LDEN006
Themes: Corporate Social Responsibility/Woman Entrepreneurs
Case Length : 14 Pages
Period : 1957-2000
Organization : Infosys
Pub Date : 2002
Teaching Note : Not Available
Countries : Japan
Industry : Media and Entertainment

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