Oprah's Empire-Building Strategy

Bet Big on Yourself

You’ve got to believe in yourself because there is no guarantee anyone else will--that is the classic advice for those setting out on any long and difficult road. But how many people take it to fully to heart? Oprah did, buying ownership of her own show from Capitol Cities/ABC in 1988, which meant she took on all the risk if the show went south and all the reward if it soared. We know how that turned out.

Use Your Image for Good (and Protect It)

In 1996, Oprah decided to share her passion for literature with America and introduced the Oprah’s Book Club segment to her show. The effect of her picks might be visible on beaches and trains where nearly everyone was reading her selections, but the place they were truly felt was in the offices of publishing companies who soon realized that whatever Oprah picked would skyrocket up the bestseller lists.
“The Oprah Effect” was born and her power to sway consumer decisions – even to the extent of getting Americans to buy musty classic literature – was revealed.
But this power was double edged for businesses. Oprah may have the power to sell a million extra copies of a book, but she also zealously protects her image as a force for good. James Frey found this out.

Expand Your Brand

Oprah’s interest in the publishing biz doesn’t just cover telling her audience what to read. She’s also produced reading material, launching O magazine in 2000 (and reinforced her public image as a dream boss by handing out $10,000 checks to staff to celebrate the publication’s 10^th anniversary a decade later).
Oprah behaved like empire-builders throughout the ages, using her dominance in her home kingdom of TV as a staging point to invade neighboring territories. Leveraging the Winfrey brand, the magazine started strong, reaching more than 2 million subscribers (though those numbers have fallen along with the rest of the industry following the recession).
Let the march continue to radio then…

Nurture Others' Talent

Oprah isn’t only the "Queen of Talk;" she’s also a kingmaker. Just ask Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Rachel Ray and the other assorted celebrities that owe their careers to Winfrey.  By incubating talent, Winfrey scored a triple whammy for her career, developing lucrative material for her production company, increasing perceptions of her as a tastemaker and powerbroker, and reinforcing her brand of caring, concern and maternal urging towards our better angels among her audience.
After all, there’s no better way to prove your power than by helping to raise the profile of the future president.

Ever Onwards?

In a long and impressive career, perhaps one of the most amazing attributes displayed by Winfrey is her refusal to coast. Most would be tempted to spend some time kicking back and spending those billions, but Oprah just keeps on trying new things and finding ways to stretch even her impressive abilities.

The latest: her OWN cable network, which is proving that even icons don’t always instantly turn everything they touch to gold. Compared to some of her earlier ventures, OWN is struggling to meet expectations as advertisers remain leery of paying high prices to the fledgling network. But Oprah is no stranger to adversity (even if they’ve been out of touch for awhile), so based on past performance it’s a good bet Oprah’s instincts to push herself won’t end in disaster. Fans will just have to wait and see.