There’s a shining new star spanning both business and pop culture. Her name is Bethenny Frankel. If you don’t know her yet, you soon will.
After a series of false career starts, the celebrity entrepreneur went from being a contestant on Martha Stewart’s spinoff of The Apprentice to the voice of reason on one of the psychotic peepshows that comprise Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise. Currently, she’s the star of her own reality show and is leveraging the exposure to fuel a rapidly burgeoning business empire, which includes the soon-to-be ubiquitous Skinnygirl Margarita , as well as books, supplements, shape wear and more.
And she did it with something that seems like a bit of an oxymoron in the world of reality television. She did it with authenticity.
Frankel says it like it is and gives her fans a seemingly unfiltered peek into her world, warts and all. In a recent profile in Forbes she was described as “disarmingly direct.” Her no-holds-barred approach appeals to her legions of fans. When you share as much as she does, and it’s not all well-rehearsed sunshine and lollipops, you can’t help but believe you’re getting a glimpse of the real Frankel. That makes her someone you can empathize with. Someone you root for. She becomes much more than a character on reality TV. She becomes a trusted friend — and that’s the ultimate brand promise.
Authenticity like this is something every brand should strive for. But it requires effort. Frankel doesn’t just use TV to promote her authenticity. She also does it through active Twitter feeds (@bethenny and @skinnygirlmarg), speaking engagements and her website. She’s all media, all the time. And her commitment to portraying authenticity, regardless of what she’s promoting, never wavers.
Now, I don’t know Frankel personally, so I can’t vouch for whether or not the personality she puts out there is TRULY authentic. But, quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. Because people believe it is. And judging by the enormous success of Frankel’s many product lines (Skinnygirl Margarita was recently sold to Fortune Brands’ Beam Global for $100 million and will likely be seen at every summer gathering you attend), it’s working. She has effectively connected with her customers who are, in turn, fanning the fires of America’s next big success story.
~ Emily
