Can Oprah And Palin Boost Each Other's Brands?

One year after weathering claims of bias because she didn’t book then-Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin on her show, Oprah Winfrey will finally have the former Alaska governor, now promoting her memoir "Going Rogue," as a guest on November 14.

Last September, Winfrey shrugged off criticism from conservative outlets that noted that she not only endorsed Barack Obama, but had the then-Illinois senator (who had not yet announced his presidential run) on her show twice. The talk-show host claimed she didn’t want to use the program as a political platform (the Obama endorsement aside), and added, “I would love to have [Palin] on after the campaign is over."

Back then, Palin was branded as a conventional-wisdom-bucking “maverick” who dazzled her base at the Republican National Convention – though still a cipher, many saw her as leading a rebranding of the entire Republican party. At the same time, Oprah was, well, Oprah.

A year later, however, both the Palin and Oprah brands are looking for a pick-me-up. This summer, Palin resigned as governor of Alaska, which added more damage to her brand. Meanwhile, Oprah’s ratings have declined (though there's no scientific data to confirm that the Palin snub sent her conservative viewers reaching for the remote), which has forced her brand to go less touchy-feely and more mainstream: less Eckhart Tolle, more Whitney Houston.

Palin’s promoting a book that’s part memoir and part assertion that her brand is still relevant, and Oprah’s looking for a ratings bonanza-bounce during sweeps week, so this is one brand collision that will definitely make great television.

The interview doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game – both Palin and Oprah will likely benefit – and though no one knows what kinds of questions will be asked (NPR and its left-leaning fans have their own suggestions), do you expect either personal brand to come out ahead?