Oprah and Ellen Sucked Me In

First let me start off by saying that I am a big fan of both Ellen Degeneres and Oprah. Not only do I think Ellen's show is hysterical, but I love what she is doing with social media. As someone who hasn't really bought into the whole social media deal, I do pay attention to Ellen and that is because she is being creative, she is actually listening to what her fans/people have to say (and then, actually responding to them), and she continues to be Ellen. And, Oprah, well, I just love Oprah.

So, back to my point. For those of you who don't know the story, Ellen set off last year to become the first person to share the cover with Oprah on O Magazine. Her shows focused on making calls to Oprah's office, creating/sharing her own ideas for the cover, etc. In the meantime, Michelle Obama became the first person to share the cover. But, Oprah finally "video conferenced/Skyped" in to Ellen's show and invited her to be on it, making her only the second person to land on the cover with Oprah.

The issue just hit the news stands and O also marketed it creatively. There are several different covers -- one that you get if you are a subscriber, one if you buy it and another one for, well, I don't remember. Ellen has been promoting the heck out of it, trying to make it the biggest selling issue ever. Well, she sucked me in. I bought it, and I liked it.

In an age where on-line magazines are becoming ever more popular, it is hard for publishers to differentiate themselves. But, this particular issue of O IS different and it's engaging. For example, you can go to O online to vote for your favorite cover (I did, of course).

But, one of the gimmicks that I really liked is the "Twelve Days of Christmas" promotion. Throughout the magazine, there are twelve holiday graphics, each with a different code/date. Beginning Dec. 1, readers can go online and enter the code for that day, as well as the 11 days that follow, to be entered into the contest to win Ellen/Oprah's holiday giveaways.  Of course, I immediately flipped through the magazine in search of the holiday graphics/code, wrote them all down and fully intend to win the prizes (LOL). Seriously, I will be playing. It's fun. You should too. Go out and buy the magazine and get ready to countdown the twelve days of Christmas.

In addition to tying into some of the social media topics we've been discussing in class, this also ties into this week's subject of authenticity vs. transparency. In today's world of social media where you can just "put it all out there," the question is, do we really need to put it all out there to be seen as transparent or authentic. And, what is the difference? Well, I think Ellen is pretty transparent and she is authentic. She is who she is and she doesn't try to portray someone she is not. And, for that very reason, I think that is why so many people relate to her. I think the same is true for Oprah. That is why they have both had long-running shows. If you don't think they have marketing power because of their authenticity, just look at Oprah's book club or her "favorite things" she does during the holidays. Typically, the products she touts on her show go on to be huge sellers.

I think there is a lot to be said for transparency and authenticity. Companies who understand it (what it really means to be authentic/transparent) will be able to better engage consumers through the new social media mediums.