Regardless of what you think about her television show or her choices for Oprah’s Book Club, you must acknowledge the fact that Oprah is quite possibly the most influential person on television.

I admit — this is a modest assessment.

She’s one of the most influential people in the entire world. A self-made billionaire with a sprawling media empire and a syndicated broadcasting platform, her philanthropy and social conscience have made her a revered force of nature.

So when Oprah gives her stamp of approval to a product, it naturally becomes successful.

She landed a recent interview with Cormac McCarthy regarding his haunting book The Road. Nabbing any sort of interview with McCarthy is akin to receiving a decent steak at Chili’s; it doesn’t happen very often.

But McCarthy is no fool — he picked the right moment to come out of hiding. BusinessWeek reported that Oprah’s estimated power to drive sales of a book are 20-100 times greater than any other media personality’s. Her show is an unparalled strategic advantage in the arena of winning hearts and minds and selling things.

I recently told a colleague that if Oprah informed her studio audience that gravity had been suspended, the women in her Chicago studio would fly home. I was only partly joking.

Here’s why I’m only partly being facetious: Oprah’s Web site lists “Ten Superfoods for Age-Defying Beauty.” Great. I’m excited — how about you? Yet another supercelebrity is hawking a list of stuff to eat that probably tastes like cardboard and which grows arms if you leave it unattended on the counter for more than 10 minutes.

Not so fast. Oprah’s “Ten Superfoods” includes innocuous and tasty things like yogurt, sprouts, barley, beans and lentils and onions.

One of Oprah’s certified superfoods (and I promise it’s not one I listed above — because that would be downright disturbing) will soon be featured in a super-healthy and antioxidant-rich juice that is just now making its way to the States.

Now, Oprah loves this little superfood like there’s no tomorrow. And the juice company I just alluded to is about to roll the marquee line of its already successful drinks into 5,300 convenience stores across the country.

When this company’s juice starts being produced with the Oprah superfood, do you think she will stand quietly by, or do you think she’ll make a point to mention it to her screaming disciples?

The special superfood I’m talking about is a fruit. It’s clearly on her list, which you can read at http://www.oprah.com/health/beauty/health_beauty_superfood.jhtml. But it’s not what you’d call a “common” fruit. It’s nothing like a strawberry, apple or apricot.

Actually, the fruit comes from Brazil. And it has 10 times the antioxidant capabilities of grapes. As of right now, it’s tough to get this fruit. Much like pomegranate, it could easily become the next “exotic” wonder fruit.

Whether you admit it or not, it doesn’t change the fact that the media influence what we think is cool, healthy, sexy and worthwhile. And when it comes to what sort of healthy fruit juice I should buy, wouldn’t you agree there are people far more dangerous out there spouting advice than Oprah Winfrey?

Regards,
Aaron Gentzler
August 1, 2008

P.S.: As usual, Oprah has the power. Just one mention by her of the new and exciting fruit juice blend — only a few seconds of airtime before a commercial break — and this company could be thrust into the spotlight.

So of course, a recommendation from the Queen of Daytime Television would spell great things for a certain juice and energy drink maker.

How to Profit form Oprah Winfrey was originally featured in the Penny Sleuth.