The Oprah Winfrey Show
(noun)
1. (also known as Oprah) the highest-rated and longest-running daytime U.S. syndicated talk show. It is hosted and produced by Oprah Winfrey through her company Harpo Productions, Inc.
2. maker of dreams; the holy grail of public relations professionals, authors, entrepreneurs, and individuals seeking exposure for their products, books or services.
One of the most frequent questions we get at eReleases is, “Can you get us on Oprah?”
Short answer: “Yes, in theory.”
Long answer: “Yes, but it is extremely hard. Luck plays a small but important part in this. You have to do your homework. Very few PR firms, even those with lots of experience successfully pitching producers and bookers, can claim to have made it on Oprah.”
While Harpo Productions, the multimedia production company behind The Oprah Winfrey Show and a slew of other talk shows like Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray, receives press releases from eReleases, I am not aware of a single eReleases client who has made it onto the show. A few clients have received calls from screeners requesting more information but the magic moment never happened.
Over the past eleven years, our clients have made it to USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, NPR, PBS, and almost every major newspaper, magazine, radio and television outlet.
Why No Love From Oprah?
Unlike a newspaper which is daily, Oprah only does a couple of hundred shows a year. That’s a very limited number of slots to be filled. When you slash that number in half to accommodate celebrities hawking movies and other projects, you are looking at about 100 opportunities. When you take the political, criminal, and human interest episodes that make up a large block of the show into consideration, what does that leave you with? Maybe a couple of dozen opportunities a year.
Oprah Kisses a Lot of Frogs
Believe me when I say Oprah gets tens of thousands of pitches and requests. A lot of these submissions are from people who have not done their homework. Most are unlikely to make it through a low-level gatekeeper as they promote their ideas, inventions, and products. A large number of them are basing their pitches on emotion:
“This is my life’s work. Please help me out.”
“I need you to promote my product because I’m out of money. The bank has foreclosed on my house.”
“I love my family. They are so proud of me.”
Show Don’t Tell
Always lead with facts and then bring the emotion through the story:
“… Not only does this product capitalize on the current social media trend, the fact that one of our users was able to call on fellow members to make a bone marrow match shows just how valuable such a medical networking site can be. Another company highlight includes a doctor who searched our site before treating an unconscious patient to find she was indeed listed and was able to discover what treatments and medications she had been using before being admitted to the hospital. Following the standard course of treatment would have resulted in a deadly interaction.”
What Makes a Pitch Oprah-Worthy
Having watched a few episodes of Oprah, I can tell you what makes a person or product Oprah-Worthy:
Hot Topics & Hot Buttons - Oprah is the pinnacle of talk shows. If your product has been around for a while or is just cute, it is unlikely to resonate with Oprah’s audience, which is used to seeing products launched or discovered on her show. Products and books featured on Oprah become hits because they are worthy of being a craze. That seed of breakout success is there from the beginning. Just add Oprah and watch it grow.
A Story - Oprah loves to discover talent with a personal story. This is the magic of Oprah. Every entrepreneur identifies with this small person plucked from relative obscurity. But there is more to the selection process than an entrepreneur’s hope and desire. Behind every person is a story: a beginning, a middle and an end. Have you written your story? Are you ready to pitch it?
Positive Message - A common theme to Oprah’s segments are elevation, often where a person has risen above obstacles to make it to this level. The show is somewhat socially conservative. If you have built a product or service that blurs ethical or moral lines, you will not make it on Oprah. Even being too cutting-edge or risqué severely handicaps your chances. Most humorous elements that make it to Oprah share a good-natured and family-friendly quality.
Feminine Appeal - The bulk of Oprah’s audience is female. A product designed for men will find a harder time finding a home on Oprah’s show. However, you can still pitch such a product by “wrapping” it correctly: “How about my product for a show on great father’s day presents or top holiday gifts for that special man in your life.”
Television Alchemy
For a more detailed blueprint on how to strike gold by getting yourself and/or your company, book, product or service on the Oprah Winfrey Show, be sure to check Oprah’s section on her website, Tell Us Your Story, where she is looking for guests according to various subjects.
Tags: harpo productions inc, oprah winfrey, oprah winfrey show, pr firms, public relations professionals, television outlet, usa today, wall street journalThis article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.
Great tips - The lesson here is don’t waste your time pitching the same thing, the same way, to all of your media contacts. Identify who their target audience is, what they usually focus on and how they prefer ideas to come in. It’s their game, you’re just playing it. Play it by their rules and you will be much more successful!
Comment by Megan Gentille, LaSalle Network — September 16, 2009 @ 11:22 am
Getting on Oprah definitely takes a measure of luck. When I was interviewing for the director of comms job at specialty retailer Brookstone in 2002, several executives said, essentially, “just get us on Oprah.” Later that fall, fortune smiled, I landed the company’s newest stereo on her Favorite Things Xmas show, and I was the golden boy. Then, for five years, nothing from Oprah, despite compelling pitches and the promise to lavish expensive gifts on her audience.
For a PR person, getting on Oprah is a double-edged sword. Yes, your employer or client will thank you and hold you in high regard; but they’ll also expect you to repeat the placement and question your commitment and ability if you don’t.
Comment by W Robert Padgett — September 16, 2009 @ 11:29 am
I agree completely about PR success being a double-edged sword. Despite telling many clients that an initial press release is unlikely to create major press, when it does happen with that first press release, the client will later come back and want to know why their second press release didn’t get them in the Wall Street Journal or major news outlet again. It’s all about expectations and accepting the blessings when they come. Then you can proceed with a long-term strategy designed to take luck out of the equation.
Comment by prfuel — September 16, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
Good article on how to work any press opportunity. Do your homework and tell a story that resonates with the audience they are serviing. Thanks so much, will forward along.
Comment by Nathan McKelvey — September 16, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
You didn’t mention another very important element to getting onto Oprah:
If you haven’t had any experience in front of a TV camera, on smaller shows and in small markets, don’t even THINK of pitching Oprah. Performing well on a show like hers, and even on the rinky-dink talk shows, is very difficult. It requires well-rehearsed soundbites, timing, knowing how to use props, and the ability to hit one out of the park when the host throws you a curve.
Without a lot of experience doing TV interviews, and making lots of mistakes you can learn from, trying to get onto Oprah is a huge mistake. Who in their right mind would want to make their mistakes on America’s Number One daytime TV talk show?
Comment by Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound — September 16, 2009 @ 5:04 pm
I think Oprah has done a wonderful job with the care and concerns of the public.
She has done a tremendous job for the many people out there.
Thanks.
Comment by Terry Ann W. Sampson — September 16, 2009 @ 6:30 pm
Thanks so much for your straightforward, helpful comments!
My best,
Manny Bernstein
Comment by Dr. Bernstein — September 19, 2009 @ 10:18 am
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