Reinventing Martha

I rarely discuss work-related issues here, but Grant’s latest post on Martha Stewart piqued my interest and reminded me of a comment that Rebecca made recently when an ad for Martha Stewart’s new show aired. She observed that Martha was capitalizing on her prison experience by reinventing her brand from “Martha Stewart the aspirational (but unattainable) goal” to “Martha the imperfect (and therefore eminently more approachable) woman.”

This is the most apparent in the advertisements for her new show “Martha,” showing a bungling but lovable character who is more friend than icon. From the show description:

With an unscripted and unedited format, there are bound to be some surprises. So, what happens when Martha's carefully laid-out plans go awry?

My favorite bit from the promo—dropping a glass sculpture while working with artist Dale Chihuly. Staged? Who knows, but for me, the transformation isn’t yet ringing true.

This AP article from March lays out the that Martha Stewart empire is attempting.

“Her prison experience can be used as a new and powerful brand asset,” said John Barker, president of DZP Marketing Communications, based in New York. “What prison has done is to make her more fallible. There is this opportunity to make Martha more approachable, more empathetic.”

C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, based in Charleston, S.C., agreed. “America is going to find out that they are going to see a new Martha that is more humble, more caring and more understanding of the American female,” Beemer said. “I would say it is a very clever transformation of a business icon into a real person with feelings.”

It’s a good strategy, but as Grant opines, her Vanity Fair interview gives “no indication that Martha Stewart is more interesting or complex.” Hmmm... the hardest part is the execution, isn’t it.

Is Martha transformed, or will she just play transformed on TV.