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Social and Digital Media · Published November 12, 2013

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

From Social to Sales: The Marketing and PR Power of Oprah

oprah winfrey speaking at the tfal instagram event
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It is far from earth shattering news that a client placement on Oprah.com is a big deal says 5WPR CEO and Founder . Along with a few other media outlets, Oprah’s website is in exclusive company -- the “holy grail” for food & beverage, beauty, and products from other industries that appeal to her target market. Last week, our Consumer team at 5W was fortunate enough to see the results of weeks and months of hard work pitching the top tier magazine and website, and placed our client Groupe SEB’s T-Fal ActiFry, in Oprah's Favorite Things 2013 holiday product recommendations. While this feature is nothing out of the ordinary for teams in all practice areas at 5W, there are a number of things to be gleaned from this media placement:
The Power of Oprah. According to Compete.com site analytics, Oprah.com received approximately 1.8 million unique web visitors in September, the last month of full rankings. In PR and media circles, that is considered to be a big number.  Does that mean that 1.8 million people will read that article? Of course not, but it does mean that our client was placed in front of a lot of eyeballs. Additionally, in a true testament to the ActiFry’s quality, Oprah actually posted a photo of herself holding the product back in February with the status update: “This machine ..T-Fal actifry has changed my life. And they're not paying me to say it.” Do you know how many people liked it? Around 29,000. Talk about a major celebrity endorser. Speaking of social The Impact of Social Reaction.Apparently a ringing endorsement from Oprah goes a long way in social media circles. Re-tweets, likes, pins, and shares do wonders for any product, especially when it comes at a high volume. The “Oprah’s Favorite Things” article itself received thousands of shares/likes/tweets, while the link to the ActiFry review also received significant sharing. Searching the word “ActiFry” on Twitter or Instagram demonstrates that it is now seeing increased results and traffic everywhere. It may not be “going viral” but the authentic reviews, recommendations, shares, feedback and content does have a direct impact on purchase decisions, resulting in better ROI for clients. According to a Vision Critical Survey, From Social To Sale, “About 40% of social media users have purchased an item after sharing or “favoriting” it on these sites." The Importance of Team Planning. How did the 5W Consumer Group do it? Hard work and planning. Most media outlets make their holiday giftbag/product of the year decisions months in advance. Without giving away the secret sauce – locating the correct editor/writer, pitching a focused and timely angle/product, and having an in-depth understanding of what is and what isn’t a fit for a publication, is how media results for the ActiFry are accomplished. For a public relations firm and professional – knowing the product, audience, and media outlet you are targeting is the key to achieving success for your client. The Importance of ROI. So the product review was overwhelmingly positive and the article was shared across multiple social platforms – both fantastic results. But what is the true ROI for a media placement of this kind? For one thing web traffic for the brand increased - a significant outcome. When eCommerce is a big part of your business and your product is gaining serious online traction, results can be monetized. And, although we won’t be able to analyze the full results the effect Oprah’s mention had on ActiFry online sales until after the holiday season, thinking analytically is the best course of action when determining ROI. In the coming weeks/months, measuring the Google position for “electric fryer” searches, viewing site traffic to gauge where visitors came from, and ultimately sales, is how the true return on investment is made. O Magazine and Oprah.com are exceptional media placements for a lot of reasons. As a PR agency, looking at the big picture (social, sales, influence) rather than just relying on the reputation of the media outlet, is the true way to analyze a placement.
From Social to Sales – The Marketing Power of Oprah It is far from earth shattering news that a client placement on Oprah.com is a big deal. Along with a few other media outlets, Oprah’s website is in exclusive company — the “holy grail” for food & beverage, beauty, and products from other industries that appeal to her target market. Last week, our Consumer team at 5W was fortunate enough to see the results of weeks and months of hard work pitching the top tier magazine and website, and placed our client Groupe SEB’s T-Fal ActiFry, in Oprah’s Favorite Things 2013 holiday product recommendations. While this feature is nothing out of the ordinary for teams in all practice areas at 5W, there are a number of things to be gleaned from this media placement.
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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