Katie

Seems like ever since Oprah hit her stride, we've been looking for the next Oprah.  So obviously when she left her slot in daytime television, the quest for the next Oprah heated up.  Truth be told, it will never happen.  There will never be another Oprah, so we need to stop trying.  Some have made the attempt, but that brand will never be replaced IMHO.

So when Katie Couric announced her new daytime show, I thought to myself "here we go again" ...   the search for the next Oprah.  Much to my amazement, though, the comparison hasn't really been made and hence the expectations have not been set.

Know what happened?  Katie is a smash.  Not because she's trying to be brand Oprah, but because she already is brand Katie.  We lost her for a little while when she personally went off her brand and got too serious on the CBS Evening News.  That wasn't brand Katie, and she lost her audience.  We like a little serious from Katie, but we like all the rest of her too.  Her new show, Katie, brings back the brand much to our delight, and her audience has followed right along.

It's not like she pulled out the HUGE celebrities to kick off her show.  Sure, there were some there but for the most part it was just Katie being Katie with her Katie clan ... the Katie were grew to love and admire and want more of.  Now we can get her ... in daytime television.

Have you seen the show?  What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President, Cohn & Wolfe NA
Author, The Experience Effect series
Professor, NYU

PS - Join us Sunday night, 9/23, for live tweets about the marketing during The Emmy Awards at 6:30EST at #EmmyExp ... tweet you there!