I received an insider tip yesterday that a very respectable luxury magazine wants to link Oprah and Barbie together. I guess a way to celebrate Barbie turning 50 in March of this year and a tie in to the big buzz celebration. Actually, they want to feature how Barbie impacted Oprah’s life. Not just Oprah but other influential women as well.
At some point you have to stop and ask yourself who actually comes up with these ideas, OMG! Oprah and Barbie are related “How” because Barbie actually cost Oprah her first media job. Oprah was told to have plastic surgery; you know to suggest that she look more like Barbie.
An important lesson to learn here is that storylines have to make sense, am I making sense? I scream this all the time “you need a strategic plan and approach” to communicate with the public. That goes for luxury brands as well as media outlets. That is if you want people to endorse what you are promoting.
Hey media outlets there are many ways to capture some Barbie buzz, as she remains an icon. I loved playing with Barbie dolls and had a large collection. However, let’s not forget Barbie’s major downfall was her overly pretty appearance that also backfired as a negative impact which influenced little girls growing up.
On a positive note, Barbie’s owners Mattel certainly understand the importance of taking Barbie mainstream. Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog,” features the first African American (or Black) Princess Tiana! The license to create Tiana of course is owned by Mattel. Actually, there will be a line of Princess Tiana black dolls coming out in September linked to the Barbie family.
Yes, Oprah Winfrey is part of the cast for The Princess and the Frog.
Will media outlets even understand how to report properly or even come up with the right storylines? Everyone will be watching, especially PR/ Blogger moms like me.
