Like most successful people, Oprah Winfrey takes branding very seriously!  And this is a good thing!!!  Her “O” is actually copyrighted and she’s trademarked “Oprah and Friends,” “Oprah’s Book Club,” “The Oprah Store” and many other variations of her name!  All very good things! 

You have to admire someone who has been so consistently consistent about her brand and so quick to make sure that she was sending the brand-appropriate message no matter what the topic or situation! 
Marketing 101 makes it clear that this kind of awareness and consistency is critical for branding success.  It also states that once a brand’s been established it can grow through brand extensions.  Just ask the folks at any packaged goods company!

Oprah has certainly done this!  But I’m wondering if her most recent venture, “Oprah’s Big Give,” doesn’t give us a pretty good lesson in the limits of brand extensions!   And how sometimes they may not work!
The best brand extensions remember what the core feature of the brand is.  Dove soap can expand into a line of moisturizers but not motor oil!  Similarly, Oprah has arguably cornered the market on Inspiration with a capital “I”.  Everything she has touched to date has driven this message home –she is a brand that can be trusted and trusted to inspire.  On the surface, her book club might have seemed to be a departure from brand, but actually what could have been more inspirational than introducing millions of readers to books and personally standing behind those books! 

Oprah’s Book Club was a great example of how a brand extension at its best does the exact opposite of diluting a brand!  It makes the brand’s message stronger, clearer and carries it to even more people!  What you usually notice with a successful brand extension is that these thoughts usually pop up: why didn’t he or she do it sooner because it’s such a natural fit or I couldn’t imagine the brand without it!
But the “Big Give” might mix up the brand message too much!  Yes, there’s philanthropy (Oprah’s strength), but there is also competition (it’s a reality TV/game show) and, of course, like any of these kinds of shows it can get ugly and behavior can become far from inspirational.  Reviews from MSNBC here and from The Hollywood Reporter here have been harsh and suggest that the show has an edge that might be negative for the Oprah image.   

Still, this is early days and it’s Oprah that we’re talking about!  Another thing about a successful brand had better be remembered by any naysayer –great brands learn fast and adapt!  You can be sure she’ll be listening to her public and either ditch the show or change it to meet the standards of her brand!  So stay tuned!!!