How PR Shaped Oprah's Iconic Brand

The icons we trust and admire didn’t just stumble into the spotlight by accident. Their PR shone a light on their authenticity and magnified their reach, credibility and impact.

These big names would never cut PR from their budget because they fully understand its power and know that without it the impact and positive influence they have would significantly decrease.

One shining example of great PR in action is Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah is a huge success story from humble beginnings to becoming a household name who is known for authenticity, empathy, wisdom and inspiration.

She has always shared her stories openly in the media. Most of us are familiar with her childhood trauma and weight issues as well as her opinions on a wide range of topics.

She shares her stories and thoughts openly, wanting to help others who may be impacted by her message. She doesn’t give off the energy of sharing her story to get something from her audience but of sharing from a genuine place of wanting her experiences to help other people. This is a big part of why people are so drawn to her. We can feel people’s energy and intention.

Notice that what she speaks on isn’t just her journey and the things that affect her directly either. This keeps cementing her reputation as being a socially conscious leader.

She opened her book club which gave other powerful voices a huge platform. She knew she had a lot of influence and she used that to lift others up and to elevate voices that may otherwise have gone unheard of. And further reinforced her image through the OWN network and her ‘SuperSoul Conversations’ podcast. All of these were heavily publicised.

Can you imagine if Oprah had never gone down the route of PR?

Let’s explore what may have happened had she never had PR or if she had been featured once or twice and decided it doesn’t work.

Her reach would have been limited. I’m sure her socials would still be thriving and she’d be, most certainly, creating impact but the requirement to be constantly posting to be seen and the fact that the reach on social media is minuscule in comparison to mainstream would have meant she wouldn’t have developed a connection with anywhere near the number of people that she has reached with PR on TV, radio, magazines and other press.

Her brand’s image wouldn’t be as clear. She would probably be viewed as an entertainer rather than the global thought leader and philanthropist we recognise her as today.

She would definitely have missed opportunities. So many! Oprah’s Book Club, for example, wouldn’t have existed or if it did, it wouldn’t have been able to change anywhere near as many lives. The ripple effect from Oprah’s book club is off the scale as it is!

She definitely wouldn’t have had the level of impact she has had on social and cultural issues either- her voice wouldn’t have been as powerful. Chances are, she still would have done some great stuff but nowhere near on the scale that she has been able to.

And who knows what may have happened had she not been able to control her narrative as effectively as she has? If we don’t manage our reputation, others will. She would have been more vulnerable to people wanting to bring her down.

Oprah’s talent, compassion and authenticity are what have made her who she is today. PR is what has made us all aware of who she is, what she does and has allowed us to be impacted by her in various ways.

Would she still have been successful without PR? I have no doubt that she would with her level of badassery and determination. But we may not have known her name and recognised her for being a global impact maker.

Want to explore what PR could look like for you and your brand? Give me a YES below!