Martha Stewart & Public Relations

Breaking the Law

This is great. Always in need of a story, The New York Post reports that Martha Stewart is causing controversy for making illegal jam?

The New York Post, citing an unnamed inmate at the Alderson, W.Va., minimum-security prison camp for women, reported that the guru of good living spent some time last week picking crab apples from trees on the camp grounds and used them to cook up sweet jelly.

"The normal person would get punished for that, but the prison guards managed not to see her," the inmate was quoted as saying.

Here's a theory...could she be behaving strategically? She has a book deal and a TV deal waiting for her upon her release. Why just sit idly by in a corner for 5 months? Makes for a boring book. Making jam sounds like a small story, but it makes for good content. I suspect it is not the only one we will hear from her...if not now, then in the book.

Making Furniture instead of License Plates

Fine, you do not make license plates in prison anymore, but MSLO just announced it is expanding its furniture line.

Martha Stewart Signature(TM) Furniture Introduces Additions to Collections.With the continued success of Martha Stewart Signature(TM) Furniture with Bernhardt, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSO) and Bernhardt Furniture Company today announced an expansion of the brand label at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina. The two companies will introduce 43 new SKUs, including additions to each of the three case goods collections- Lily Pond(R), Skylands(TM), and Turkey Hill(TM)-as well as to the range of upholstery options. The new items will be available to consumers at furniture retailers nationwide in March 2005.

"Consumer reaction to the Lily Pond, Skylands, and Turkey Hill Collections continues to be extremely favorable," said Alex Bernhardt, Sr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bernhardt Furniture Company. "Consumers love our unique twist on traditional, classic design, our rich color palette, and special fabrics and finishes. As a result, we've expanded our selection, providing consumers with even more choices for decorating their homes. We're offering exciting new designs and finishes, as well as supplementing existing groups with additional pieces."

Brand expansion. Interesting to note the 3 collections are named after Martha's homes. It's quintessential brand personification, but in this case, you are not necessarily lining your living room with Martha's name. It's a bit more subtle. And while I wish I could say the growth in a non-Martha named product was part of a trend, I cannot.

From her Farmhouse to the Bighouse

Martha Stewart begins her five-month sentence today. CNN has a great story updating us on where Martha will be staying, Camp Cupcake. Luckily, she'll be wearing khaki and not stripes. Stripes aren't very slimming.

"If Stewart begins her prison term Friday, she would be out by early March -- just in time to begin work on her television program during the five-month home detention period." And we already know the father of reality TV, Mark Burnett will have a few ideas waiting for her upon her return.

She'll be back in a big way.