The Power of Oprah’s “Brand”
In what can only be a testimony to the power of Oprah Winfrey’s personal brand, a few years ago, more than 700,000 people registered on Oprah.com for a 10-week Web seminar with Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth, a spiritual self-help guide that’s the latest pick of Oprah’s Book Club. Oprah announced her new online venture some time ago, but I doubted it would have such a huge following.
In the search for online entertainment answers, this is evidence that a strong broadcast or traditional media brand name helps create a bridge to the online world. They released a statement because the rush was so great it caused some glitches, but regardless of the problems, or what you think of Oprah, it was a significant event in the online media business.
I came home yesterday, and my daughter is watching T.V. and she has Oprah on. I see this webinar and book called "The New Earth". Since I just preached a sermon this past Sunday on Rev. 21:1-5 on the New Heavens and New Earth, my interest was peaked.
Even though the book borrows from the biblical verbiage and imagery of Revelation, it is really just another New Age, self-actualization book..
But what I learned yesterday was the real power of Oprah. To have over 700,000 people signed up for this webinar was incredible. I was floored. Yes I know that a book on the Oprah book club list shoots onto the best seller list – but seeing those raw numbers made an indelible impression on the scope of Oprah's influence and the trust and loyalty of people to the Oprah brand.
sad…
What is so startling to me, and perhaps a little disconcerting, is the power of one person to reach the masses to easily. If done right, we now have evidence of the life changing impact ONE person really can have. Most disconcerting for me is that this power, which can be – and usually is – used for good can also be used for evil. The question for me is will we know for which it is intended?
Remaining Steadfast,
Dominique
I was reading this blog about Oprah's power to influence such a great number of people and, in my opinion, she is a master when it comes to branding her name and products… Then, I thought that maybe she's able to do what she does because she's selling a worldly product, or idea, that reaches to the world, thus feeding their sinful flesh. The day Oprah starts saying that Jesus is the only way to Heaven and that only through His blood you can have eternal life… the day she declares that in order to achieve life everlasting you have to deny your fleshy appetites and pick up your cross and follow Jesus exclusively…when that day happens, let's see if the masses she carries now will continue to follow her.
I read an article which quoted the author as saying his book THE NEW EARTH, was a mixture of Buddism, Christianity, and Islam. This is just another example of false teaching leading people astray from the ONE WAY, Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE. The end days will bring false teaching that will "tickle our ears", telling us what we want to hear, but only confusing us and keeping us from having the real peace that only comes from the life-changing power of knowing Christ and His Word.