When asked, “What does public relations success look like to you?” many clients respond, “I want to be on Oprah.” And, we understand why — she is the driving force behind almost every product that she backs. And, if that product ends up on her “favorite things” episode — you can pretty much guarantee your sales will soar.
So it’s no surprise that the Chicago 2016 Olympics committee would ask Oprah Winfrey to speak at Monday night’s Olympic gala. They needed to wow the Olympic committee and since the upcoming Olympics is Chicago’s “product,” they wanted to be on her list of favorite things.
Winfrey is a huge fan of Chicago and is very involved in letting outsiders know what a great city we live in. Mayor Daley was impressed by her ability to capture everyone in the room. With all the money the Olympics would bring the city of Chicago, everyone , not just Daley, is hoping Oprah worked her magic.
But, was she enough to persuade them that this is the place for the 2016 games? Is Chicago able to turn a blind eye to all this financial turmoil enough to prepare for the Olympics? And, is it true what we tell clients, “While Oprah is a great goal, you need to have what it takes to get there first”?