A reporter for Advertising Age who asked whether ad buys were helpful for gaining endorsements, described Oprah's answers as "a tad vague." Indeed they were: "Editorial and creative decisions drive mentions and product inclusions on the show. If a brand gets mentioned, it is as often serendipity as it is business. When we do partner with brands, it is usually because we have an editorial direction we're pursuing." In other words, advertising usually didn't matter, but it didn't not matter either.

Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, loc. 804