THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
Applied Research Project
The Oprah Effect: How Oprah Winfrey Persuades Viewers
Libby Hendren
University of South Florida St. Petersburg
April 16, 2012
1 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
Applied Research Project Overview
Oprah Winfrey is arguably one of the most persuasive people in the world.
There has been an explosion of the Oprah Winfrey brand as a power of
influence. The power of “the Oprah effect” influences how people vote and make
purchases. Over the past few decades, Winfrey has increasingly influenced how
people spend their money. CNNMoney.com ranked Winfrey second only to
Google in 2006 as the biggest brand newsmaker followed by Amazon, eBay and
iPod (2006).
Winfrey has become a media powerhouse since “The Oprah Winfrey
Show” that began in 1984. While her syndicated show left the airwaves of local
affiliates, it continues to air with the addition of updated remarks and some other
programs featuring Winfrey on the Oprah Winfrey Network. OWN is yet another
example of Winfrey’s increasing amount of influence in addition to her monthly
magazine O.
What is it about Winfrey and her show that makes viewers want to buy
products that she suggests and displays on her show? CNBC produced a fulllength program about Winfrey and “The Oprah Effect” in 2009. That program
focused on the success of businesses following a product mention on “The
Oprah Winfrey Show”. That program, however, did not incorporate the influence
on consumers from the viewer’s perspective and what motivated them to buy the
products. My documentary-style video focused on how people are persuaded
versus how businesses benefit from a talk show appearance.
2 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
The goal of the final project is to produce a 7-to-10 minute documentarystyle video on what is known as “the Oprah effect,” incorporating interviews with
clips from the show, to give insight as to how Winfrey has influenced consumer
buying habits and lifestyle choices. Winfrey is persuasive through the many
products she has propelled to success; however, little research has shown
exactly how Winfrey has been able to influence people, especially on such a
massive scale, and what specific qualities Winfrey possesses make her
persuasive. This video, in lieu of a conventional written thesis, shows how she
has been influential leading to the development of “the Oprah effect”, provides
feedback from the public about how she’s persuasive, and gives an overview for
how people can be persuaded. This video could be viewed by the public to learn
more about popular culture or could be used as an aid for college students
studying persuasion theory. Mainly, this video aims to answer these two
questions:
How does Winfrey persuade viewers with verbal or visual messages?
What is it specifically about Winfrey that makes her persuasive on
television?
Literature Review
Persuasion is a process where a message is used to influence another
person. It’s more than just relaying information: it encourages another person to
change his or her mind or to take action (McGaan, 2010). There are five general
purposes for persuasion: create uncertainty for those strongly opposed to an
3 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
idea, reduce resistance to a speaker’s position, change attitude for those not
strongly committed to an attitude, amplify attitude for those who already
moderately favor an attitude, and gain behavior—getting those to act on an
audience’s convictions (McGaan, 2010).
A message can be persuasive through different means. It can be subtle
where the viewer doesn’t really notice. It can be a self-reference—an “I use it”
proclamation from a product’s user. The source can be powerful and consumers
can feel motivated by the source’s demands (Lindquist & Sirvey, 2003, p. 307).
“There are two types of messages, nonverbal and verbal…. We as
communicators manage messages through verbal and nonverbal communication
to create meaning in a given context” (Lane, 2001).
Television in and of itself is designed to be a persuasive medium. It uses
both verbal and nonverbal messages to appeal to a large audience. Shrum
(2010) from Rutgers University asked:
“If the properties of television give it powerful potential as a persuasive medium,
is it possible that the programs themselves have the ability to persuade?
Apparently, marketers think so,” (p. 119).
If individuals watch four hours of television as Nielsen reported in 1995,
they are being subjected to hours worth of persuasion not only in advertisements,
but through the programs as well. Media priming is the effects of the media
content on people’s judgments or later behavior related to the content that was
processed (Roskos-Ewoldsen, Roskos-Ewoldsen & Carpentier 2009). Morgan,
Shanahan, and Signorielli (2009) wrote:
4 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
“Television is a centralized system of storytelling. Its drama, commercials, news
and other programs bring a relatively coherent system of images and messages
into every home. Transcending historic barriers of literacy and mobility, television
has become the primary common source of socialization and everyday
information (usually cloaked in the form of entertainment) of other heterogeneous
populations” (p.35).
The popularity of viewers’ needs to buy products featured on her
broadcast of the years has created the “Oprah effect” which is defined as the
result of Winfrey’s outright endorsement or product mention on air or in print
influencing consumers, viewers, voters, and readers. As a media machine
interacting with her viewers, Winfrey is able to drive sales of everything from
clothes to books to appliances. Winfrey’s ability to influence viewers was
revealed in her bio on Time Magazine’s list of “the 25 Most Influential Women,”
“Winfrey’s unparalleled influence on culture—often called ‘the Oprah effect’ – has
boosted lesser known authors onto the New York Times best-sellers list while
reviving America’s interest in classic literature (John Steinbeck), turned obscure
products into household brands (Spanx and Ciao Bella) and helped a whole
battery of other personalities become full fledged media powers of their own (Dr.
Phil, Dr. Oz, and Rachel Ray)” (Sun, 2010). Many experts have contributed
Winfrey’s success to the fact she’s considered an approachable icon. Appearing
on CNBC’s “The Oprah Effect,” Executive Vice-President and Chief Strategist for
DDB Chicago James Lou said:
5 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
“The beauty of Oprah is that she’s able to be an icon and at the same time, very,
very approachable and very real. It makes her so relevant as a brand to
consumers. When we talk about consumers, I know the first consumer we think
about is the woman audience, and that is a very powerful consumer. That
consuming audience makes up about $7 trillion of spending in the U.S. Women
hold $7 trillion of spending in the U.S. That’s a huge amount of the economy that
they drive, and she certainly has been one of the key iconic empowerment forces
in the community.”
Approach
The approach of this project involved interviewing a media critic,
psychiatrist and a publicist who watched Winfrey and were influenced by Winfrey
to buy products and creating a 7-to-10 minute video highlighting the theories of
how people are influenced through the “Oprah effect”. In addition to these
interviews, clips from the show and video examples of product placement in
movies and TV shows provide insight into the power of persuasion. Interviewees
were asked questions relevant to their fields in addition to questions about their
television viewing habits; how TV viewing affected their purchases; whether they
were influenced by Winfrey to make a purchase or lifestyle choice; and if any
particular visual or verbal messages played a role. Participants’ answers shed
light on how persuasion has catapulted Winfrey’s media empire into the national
and international spotlights. The interviews guided the content of this
documentary-style production. To lay out the theoretical framework, experts were
6 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
imperative to offer insight to explain persuasion or comment on the power of “the
Oprah effect.” Sample interview questions:
How many hours a day would you estimate you watch television?
Do you watch the “The Oprah Winfrey Show”? If so, how often?
Have you been influenced or persuaded to buy a product or make a lifestyle
choice that you saw on the show? If so, what product or choice?
What verbal or non-verbal messages influenced your decision?
Have you been influenced or persuaded to buy a product or make a lifestyle
choice that you know was associated with Oprah Winfrey but maybe heard about
through a friend or family member?
Overall, what is your impression of Oprah Winfrey?
Conclusion
In the course of building this project, I came to a few conclusions. Winfrey
has persuaded viewers with her personality. Viewers believe she is credible,
sincere, accountable, confident, honest, smart, authentic, trustworthy, humble,
and a leader. She has connected with people because she pioneered a show
about women’s issues that weren’t being talked about elsewhere on television in
the 1980s. She shared with her viewers personal experience or stories about her
struggles with poverty, weight loss and abuse, and the viewers found a humanquality in her and connected with her because they had similar problems too.
Even people who don’t regularly watch her show could observe her weight has
significantly yo-yoed over the past nearly three decades.
7 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
Also, Winfrey has applied “soft sell” and product giveaway strategies in
her shows and regularly gave away products or mentioned them on her show.
Arguably, one of the most popular giveaway shows has been the Oprah’s
Favorite Things episode each holiday season, which continues in O Magazine.
Viewers would get excited about the products and would go out and buy them.
That created instantly hot-items. She wasn’t trying to sell them. Psychiatrist Dr.
Walter Afield thinks that approach helps make Winfrey a success. “I think
because she doesn’t do a hard sell, and she does it in a very nice, soft way.
People like that.” 1
Celebrity endorsement also plays a role because viewers are more likely
to remember a product associated with one of their favorite celebrities than to
just merely see a product. Winfrey has been celebrated for her efforts to inspire
people to read.
Winfrey has led the nation and even the world to want to pick up a book.
She has made more than 60 books instant best sellers with more than $500
million in sales through her book club. Publicist Nancy Kipnis believes Winfrey
has the ability to make people want to do things that they would normally not do
on their own. Viewers were persuaded on two levels—seeing Winfrey with the
product such as a book, Spanx, or face cream and hearing her talk about how
she likes it or uses it. They associate the product with her. Kipnis summed it up,
“If Oprah’s promoting it, then it’s gonna be great.”
1 A video script is provided at the end of this document. 8 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
References
CNNMoney.com. (January 2, 2006). “Google, Oprah looking hot in '06”.
Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/29/news/newsmakers/ hot
brand 2006/ index.htm.
Demarzo, Peter M., Dimitri Vayanos, Jeffrey Zwiebel. (2003, August). Persuasion
bias social influence, and unidimensional opinions. Quarterly Journal of
Economics, 909.
Garthwaite, Craig and Timothy J. Moore. “The Role of Celebrity Endorsements in
Politics: Oprah, Obama, and the 2008 Democratic Primary.” September
2008: 1-58. Illumina. Web. 30 October 2009.
Grose, Jessica. “Life in the Time of Oprah.” The New York Times 17 August
2008: ST1.
Lexis Nexis. Web. 22 October 2009.
Hill, John R. and Zillmann, Dolf (1999). 'The oprahization of America:
Sympathetic crime talk and leniency', Journal of Broadcasting &
Electronic Media, 43: 1, 67 — 82.
Koppang, Haavard. (2009). Social Influence by Manipulation: A Definition and
Case of Propaganda. Middle East Critique, 18(2), 117-143.
Lane, Dr. Derek R. Persuasion Context (14 February 2001). Retrieved from
http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/persuasion/
Lindquist, Jay D. and M. Josephy Sirgy. Shopper, Buyer, and Consumer
Behavior: Theory, Marketing Applications, and Public Policy Implications.
2nd Edition, 2003.
9 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
McGaan, Lee. (11 February 2010). Introduction to Persuasion. Retrieved from
http://department.monm.edu/cata/saved_files/Handouts/PERS.FSC.html.
Morgan, Michael. James Shanahan, Nancy Signorielli. (2009). Growing up with
Television Cultivation Process. In Bryant Jennings and Mary Beth Oliver.
(Eds.) Media effects: Advances in Theory and Research. (3rd Ed.). New York,
NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Roskos-Ewoldsen, David R., Roskos-Ewoldsen, Beverly and Francesca Dillman
Carpentier. (2009). Media Priming An Updated Synthesis. In Bryant
Jennings and Mary Beth Oliver. (Eds.) Media effects: Advances in Theory
and Research. (3rd Ed.). New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Inc.
Shrum, L. J. (1999). Television and persuasion: Effects of the programs between
the ads. Psychology and Marketing, 16(2), 119-140.
doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6793(199903)16:2<119::AID-MAR4>3.0.CO;2-R
Sun, Feifei. (18 November 2010). The 25 Most Powerful Women of the Past
Century: Oprah Winfrey. Time. Retrieved from
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2029774_20
97762031799,00.html
Samo, Bridget (Producer) & Kane, Keith (Producer). (2009). The Oprah Effect
[Documentary]. Chicago: Kurtis Productions, LTD. for CNBC. Retrieved
from http://www.cnbc.com/id/29961298.
10 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
Ulrich, Carmen Wong. “The Oprah Effect.” Essence 37.6 (1996): 190-192.
MetaLib. Web. 6 October 2009.
Appendix: Video Script
Oprah SOT (Oprah’s Life Class :03): This book will change your life
TRACK: The popularity of viewers buying products featured on her broadcast
over the years has created the “Oprah effect”, the result of Winfrey’s outright
endorsement or product mention on air or in print influencing consumers,
viewers, voters, and readers. As a media machine interacting with her viewers,
Winfrey is able to drive sales of everything from clothes to books to appliances
and landing her on Time Magazine’s list of the 25 Most Influential Women. What
makes Winfrey so persuasive? We’re going to look at how Winfrey persuades
viewers with verbal or visual messages and what specifically about Winfrey
makes her persuasive on television.
(FULL SCREEN The Oprah Effect: How Oprah Winfrey Persuades Viewers)
Kipnis SOT (Kipnis about 4:40) I don’t typically drink martinis but I would go our
and try it because she said it… I think that she has that appeal also and getting
people to read a book, try a product, or do something that they would typically
never do on their own (5:52).
TRACK: Publicist Nancy Kipnis (kip-niss) is one of the millions who Winfrey has
persuaded to buy products like face cream and books over the years. Winfrey’s
personality has helped her mostly female audience connect with her.
Dr. Oz SOT (Barbara Walters: 33:32): Oprah represents mom. She’s a good
listener, she hears what you’re saying and it’s much more than what you’re
verbally saying. She hears your emotions, the pain in your heart, thoughts in your
head; all that stuff comes alive to her in a way that it’s almost ESP.
Kipnis SOT (Kipnis 7:03) She is a very, very smart woman, and I think in her
sense of being humble and true to herself, she believes in that warmth comes
across, and I don’t think that’s something physical in terms of body language but
it’s certainly approachable and understandable by her viewers.
TRACK: Winfrey has shared her own stories about abuse, poverty, and weight
loss struggles giving a voice to women’s issues that were being overlooked
elsewhere on television and increased her credibility.
Winfrey SOT (anecdote about weight loss)
11 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
TRACK: Psychiatrist Dr. Walter Afield says using her past to benefit others has
helped Winfrey’s audience relate to her knowing they faced they same problems
and they could count on Winfrey to bring to light subjects others would not tackle.
Dr. A SOT: (Super: Dr. Walter Afield Medical Director and NPI Founder) She’s
been abused and she was I’ve been there, but she doesn’t have to say that.
She’s not pushing something. She’s a likable person. 4:32
TRACK: Marketers have been placing products in movies since the 1940s, and in
today’s fast paced media, viewers may be subjected to several product
placements in each film or TV show. Arguably, one of the most popular giveaway
shows has been the Oprah’s Favorite Things episode each holiday season.
Oprah SOT (Barbra Walters 26:45) it’s beginning to look a lot like favorite things.
Oprah SOT (Oprah Winfrey Show 6:46) you get a car, you get a car, you get a
car.
Oprah SOT (Barbara Walters 26:36) it’s wonderful to see 40-year-old women
behave like 7 year olds. I want to be able to say to those people thank you, thank
you thank you.
TRACK: The show’s audience is always enthusiastic about getting free stuff from
cars to vacations, and that enthusiasm rubs off on the audience watching at
home encouraging them to want to have the same stuff.
(Moved this up from previous script) Kipnis SOT (Kipnis 1:57) humans are—
we’re herds. We like to follow and we like to conform to what the standards of
society are, and I think that she is one of those people when she pitches a
product, I’ve got have that too because everybody else is gonna have it. If
Oprah’s promoting it, then it’s gonna be great.
TRACK: Viewers process messages from entertainment differently than
promotional media. They’re more likely to recall a brand associated with one of
their favorite celebrities especially when the celebrity uses it too. Winfrey has
excited viewers over the past couple of decades, chatting up everything from Alisters to airlines.
Oprah SOT nats from catch a Disney surprise promo & Quantas of her giving
away items
TRACK: Winfrey continues to grow her media empire with OWN. As she left
syndication (full screen graphic of markets) about a third of the top 25 television
markets turned to Winfrey’s own spinoffs to fill the void she left on local airwaves.
Dr. Phil SOT (Barbara Walters 32:34): She said don’t bend to the critics, don’t
bend to the naysayers, you’re not going to make everybody happy all of the time.
12 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
TRACK: Winfrey’s confidence and leadership are two attributes that make her
an effective verbal communicator.
Dr. A SOT: 15 Her big gift is being able to talk at the 1st grade level to people and
to be able to relate to the audience to reach out. And people like her. She comes
across very well and sincere and honest and she has a big following because of
that.
TRACK: Winfrey advises her audience to check out items that have been
effective for her in the past, and the confidence that she has in the product or
service translates to sales. Kipnis says Winfrey has several leadership qualities
that attract a solid fan base--Trust, sincerity and accountability.
Kipnis SOT (Kipnis: 48) I believe she is the master of persuasion of a couple of
reasons. I think the most obvious is her viewership is so grand, and the reason
it’s so grand is because she possesses qualities that people look for in
leadership. And to me the two most obvious qualities are authenticity and the fact
that people trust her.
Dr. A SOT 1:13 I think because she doesn’t do a hard sell and she does it in a
very nice, soft way. People like that… I’m sure what you see is not totally what
you get, but what she projects and she’s done it for a long time. People like
sincerity.
TRACK: St. Pete Times Media Critic Eric Deggans (degg-ans) watches television
for a living.
Deggans SOT about 3:20:04 I record a lot of stuff. My DVR my home and at work
is full… 30 or 40% of my waking hours is probably spent watching TV shows.
TRACK: Deggans is an example of a heavy television viewer and someone who
could see more than a dozen branded products on the national networks.
According to researchers, about 40% of those are product placements.
NAT SOTS (Sound from product placements in primetime)
TRACK: Researchers have found that watching several hours of TV daily can
lead viewers to perceive a lifestyle on television as real life and encourage them
to buy even if it’s not within their means. Kipnis (kip-niss) only watches a few
shows each week, but was persuaded by Winfrey to buy products over the years.
She continuously tells viewers that she likes a product or even uses it. Her verbal
assertions allow viewers to remember the next soon-to-be hot item when they’re
out shopping.
Oprah SOT (Barbra Walters 27:15) when I was growing up, books were my
friend. One of the most rewarding experiences for me thought is opening that
13 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
world to people. I can’t even imagine being 40 years old and never having read a
book, but there were people who had.
TRACK: Winfrey has lead the nation and even the world to want to pick up a
book and has made more than 60 books instant best sellers with more than $500
million in sales.
Deggans SOT (Eric Deggans 3:11:05) I don’t think there can be a next Oprah
because media has changed too much from when she was developing her show.
Oprah SOT (Barbra Walters 1:55) These years you, our viewers, have enriched
my life beyond all measure and you all have graciously invited me into your living
rooms, your kitchens, and into your lives.
TRACK: After 25 years on broadcast television with The Oprah Winfrey Show,
connecting with 6.5 million viewers a day in 145 countries, talk show host Oprah
Winfrey made the move to her own network.
Oprah SOT (Facebook Interview 3:56) Should I end the show and leverage the
Oprah Winfrey Show years to create a platform on cable, in digital, online,
people’s telephones, wherever they are that reaches them in such away that
allows people to be who they are meant to be.
TRACK: Winfrey’s media empire continues to persuade viewers even when
they’re not watching her on TV—through the world wide web, OWN
programming, social media, and of course, her magazine.
GMA Anchor SOT (GMA 5:40) Who doesn’t love Oprah’s favorite things. She
may have ended the show but the holiday tradition is very alive at O Magazine.
TRACK: This media trailblazer has left a lasting legacy as the most watched talk
show host in syndication. Her ability to connect with viewers through her values
and ability to be an effective communicator have propelled her to be one of the
most persuasive people on television. Her personality, credibility, confidence and
leadership have made her a persuasive communicator, and her ability to be
connect in a unique way, sharing her own thoughts and favorite products in a
down-to-earth approach and even a hug make this talk show queen one of the
most beloved talk show hosts of our time and she continues to leave her mark on
our culture through her vast media empire and inspiring everyone to live their
best life.
Video Link
http://youtu.be/9Q3TBwZPxpQ
14 THE OPRAH EFFECT: HOW OPRAH WINFREY PERSUADES
VIEWERS
15