Oprah & Ellen Set Example for Celebrity Collaboration

by lisa ~ December 7, 2009

Dec. 7, 2009 - In the midst of non-stop tabloid coverage of celebrity rivalries, two of the world’s most recognizable women have found that collaboration can be more profitable than competition.

In January 2009, Ellen Degeneres declared her intention to share the cover of O Magazine with Oprah. This month, she became only the second woman to be featured alongside the publication’s founder; the first to be granted that honor was Michelle Obama.

The world’s most famous lesbian (as described by Degeneres’ wife, Portia de Rossi) has also declared her intention to make it the best-selling issue of O Magazine ever.

That’s important because, according to The New York Post, this year has been “one of the rockiest years since its launch in 2000.” The magazine, a joint venture between Winfrey’s Harpo Print LLP and Hearst Corp., is undergoing a makeover that will be revealed next May.

While there is some speculation that the redesign could alienate its 2.4 million paid subscribers, placing an article in O Magazine remains a major coup for PR professionals - and that’s unlikely to change in 2010.

It’s well known that Hearst and other major magazine publishers are examining digital publishing options but the Post is mum on whether the redesign will somehow mesh with an electronic version of the magazine.

Lisa Tibbitts is the principal of Tibbitts Creative, a public relations and marketing service that emphasizes corporate communications. She has an extensive background in financial services and an MBA in marketing. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FinancialPR.

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