When Oprah speaks, America listens, and when she reads (God bless her!), Americans read, too. Thus her gush about Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) electronic reader the Kindle has come as a blockbuster for the online merchant. According to Advertising Age, as soon as Oprah mentioned the Kindle on her October 24th Oprah's Book Club, Google searches on the term went up fivefold. Traffic directed to Amazon from Oprah.com went through the roof (15,000%) and the aggregate of all visits to Amazon were bumped up 6%, an enormous spike in a mature site. Given these numbers, her Kindle endorsement is a home run for the platform, and should drive huge Christmas sales.
Since Amazon spiffs referring sites 10% of the sale price, Oprah.com stands to rake in over $35 per Kindle sale. And, of course, this establishes the platform as a fulfillment alternative for each subsequent Oprah's book recommendation. Ka-ching!
According to Wikipedia, publishers believe Oprah has 20 to 100 times the sway of any other public figure in driving book sales. For example, a recent announcement that she selected The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski inspired the publisher to order a run of 750,000 copies. Each one carrying the Oprah selection tag was given its own ISBN to track her impact.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
11-04-2008 @ 2:30PM
nancy murray said...
The Kindle is not nearly as awesome or user friendly as the Sony E book!! Oprah should have done her homework!!
11-04-2008 @ 2:36PM
John said...
Why doesn't Oprah do something to try and influence people in Chicago to stop murdering each other. Helping increase sales of stuff seems rather trivial compared to the obscence murder rate in her city. If she truly has so much influence why hasn't she used it in this situation.
11-04-2008 @ 2:42PM
Suzanne Ellis said...
I don't know any thing about Sony e book, but the Kindle is great! Like Oprah said ready to use and someone with no computer experience will be able to figure it out . Love being able to buy books on the kindle and the prices and selections, WOW.
11-04-2008 @ 2:48PM
karla said...
So Oprah gets paid $ 35.00 to mention the Kindle.. Not bad wouldn't you say? When will people wise up to Oprah..... that was a deal in the making way before the show...Also, I don't understand people when it comes to her... make your own mined up rather you like something or try something....People take whatever she talks about to truth.. Wise up!!!
THINK FOR YOURSELF
11-04-2008 @ 2:51PM
Theresa Sullivan said...
I will not ever buy or recommend anything that has Oprah's name on it. Her political views were of no importance to me, but she felt she had the right to impose those with her endorsement of Obama. I will exercise my right to boycott her show, magazines, and anything she endorses.
She might want to take a trip to the library and curl up on the sofa like 'plain folk' do. When Obama gets in - we aren't going to be able to afford a Kindle or whatever it's called - but the folks that don't work will. Shame on Oprah.
11-04-2008 @ 2:53PM
heidi said...
oprah is a fat ugly skank and people should not watch her show. she wants obama to get in a man with no experience, bad judgement, a liar and conartist, oprah is afraid to have sarah palin on her show because she does not want people to hear the truth, but people already know the truth about obama and the ones with actual brains are voting for john mccain to keep their taxes low,keep small businesses in business and to keep terrorists away from us. we dont need obama we need john mccain. vote the right way mccain-palin08 for a real difference in our country.
11-04-2008 @ 2:54PM
Gerald said...
Hmmm, wonder how much Amazon had to cough up for Obama's campaign to get a plug from Oprah?
11-04-2008 @ 3:09PM
Erin said...
Oprah lost my support a long time ago with her endorsement of Obama. I don't watch her show anymore or buy her magazines. Nothing. I have had enough of this self important person
11-04-2008 @ 3:19PM
Dave Miedema said...
The same mindless fools who operate their lives on the basis of every utterance Oprah makes are the same-brain dead folks who voted for Obama without examining the issues.
Dave Miedema
Chicago area
NObama! NOprah
11-04-2008 @ 3:21PM
aunt pat said...
I stopped listening to Oprah long ago. I'm glad I have, too. What's wrong with curling up with a good book, like the regular folks do, as someone said? If you can't afford a book, go to the library. Her favorite things show is a waste of money and how many "things" can you have?
I cannot wait until her show is off the air. She's become too self-important and out of touch with reality. I get the feeling she's also a closet racist.
11-04-2008 @ 3:26PM
show me the food said...
Poor Fat Oprah which is Harpo in reverse,
will get the food tasting job for Obama and the white house staff I hope they don't get hungry
11-04-2008 @ 3:30PM
Mike said...
I wouldn't buy crap if Oprah told me to buy it. Who in the hell does she think she is?
11-04-2008 @ 3:33PM
Get a Job said...
Oprah new job will be the Mayor of Detroit ,lets see how all the cities change now that these goons are running the show.
11-04-2008 @ 3:38PM
dale said...
glad somebody cares about poopra.....
11-04-2008 @ 3:42PM
lu said...
yes yes, we are all name calling but I do not like someone, anyone having that much power to influence a majority of people. Get a backbone and decide for your self. Use common sense.
11-04-2008 @ 3:44PM
JohnDoe777 said...
Oprah only care about Oprah. She sold her soul to the devil long ago. She gets a 10% royalty of every Kindle sold. People are so stupid. They really need to wise up. They are making Oprah even richer. I agree with a previous poster. If Oprah had a REAL heart, she would help inner-city youth and elderly on social security in Chicago and Mississippi where she is from. But that is the point, she is fake!
11-04-2008 @ 3:47PM
Sophia said...
Are you kidding. "Oprah afraid to have Palin on her show because she can't handle the truth" What truth, that she hop hop to community colleges? She doesn't know what the VP does? Her foreign policy is to see Russia across the street?. At least Obama Graduated for HARVARD, COLUMBIA, and the list goes on. I am white & I support
Obama/Biden!
11-04-2008 @ 3:52PM
Sue said...
I would not buy anything that Oprah recommended or supported. She is a
sexist, racist cow.
11-04-2008 @ 3:53PM
jrwade67 said...
The Kindle has been hard to get for over a year. Oprah no longer influences what I buy.
11-04-2008 @ 3:55PM
karen said...
I wish the people that give comments would stay on topic. Oprah is an astute businesswoman that came from nothing and now is a billionaire. Frankly she shouldn't care what the public thinks regarding who she votes for because she like all of you that comment on this blog is an American. It funny how so called patriotic Americans can't stand anything that is different or doesn't follow your own narrow minded beliefs. Why don't you take five and read the Constititution.