Opportunity may not be green, but it’s still profit.
Scanning the New York Times Online today I came across an article called “Is the World Suffering From Too Much Martha?” Since when has media oversaturation ever hurt any celebrity’s pocketbook? There’s no such thing as bad publicity to Martha Stewart. The woman parlayed a prison sentence into two television shows and a radio station. Interestingly, this and several other articles talk about the slump in Martha Stewart stock, but place little emphasis on their rise in conjunction with the hype of each of her new shows, and how magazine ad sales have drastically increased. In each of these articles the author states Martha Stewart Omnimedia has no financial interest in The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.
Are you kidding me?
Martha Stewart Omnimedia may not be getting a big, heaping mound of cash, but the contestants are competing for a position within the company. More importantly, this show is essentially NBC footing the bill for a multi-million dollar marketing campaign. She may not be the CEO anymore, but Martha Stewart is still the company’s brand. Any vehicle that serves to enhance her image, reinforces that brand.
If I go to a dinner party where I may meet a dozen potential clients, do I not stand to gain financially from that business dinner? This show will reach millions of viewers, and more than a few of them will be potential new Martha Stewart customers. Each week viewers will get a shot in the arm of Martha merchandise; the contestants’ suite is entirely furnished by Martha Stewart brands, and I’m sure all of the competitions will highlight even more Martha tchotchkes. After watching The Apprentice last year, even I went out and bought Carolyn Kepcher’s book. It’s no coincidence Martha’s book “The Martha Rules: 10 Essentials for Achieving Success as You Start, Grow, or Manage a Business” comes out October 11th.
You can cry “Martha Martha Martha!” all you want, but the woman’s still a billionaire.
