Can Oprah help your brand?

The short answer to that question is: very likely. Ask any of the hundreds of authors picked to be part of "Oprah's Book Club" or one of the little-known brands she has profiled during any of her audience-give programs. In case you've been living under a rock, Oprah runs at least one giving program each season. The problem is how to get media-mogul Oprah - or her producers - interested in your brand. Here are a few tips.

by Kristina Knight

The key, according to most experts, is to have a great product that does something new. A few years ago, Oprah profiled the Blackberry before most of America had a phone with a full keypad. Now, most American's have bought into the keypad function and are buying Blackberries - or another similar model - in droves.

Another key? When you contact Harpo Productions, Oprah's production company, producers (or they contact you) be personable. Don't spout every metric you have available about your product. Tell them why you love it, why you created it and how it's made your life better.

And here's a thought, be willing to provide the producer, or Oprah herself, a sample of the product so they can test it during their day to day lives. As with any busy consumer, these producers are incredibly pressed for time, allowing them to test a product on their own time is better than a "take my word for it" approach.