CEO of Dualstar Goes to Harvard

Diane Reichenberger, the CEO of Dualstar Entertainment Group, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s company, visited Harvard Business School the other day to talk about celebrity branding and marketing. She has been CEO of Dualstar since 2005.

Here are some of the highlights, as outlined by the Harbus:

On Identity: In the past, Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen struggled to maintain their brand identity. With the help of Reichenberger, they expelled categories in their product line (e.g. toothpaste) that did not fit into the image they wished to present. They are both well-respected fashion icons in the celebrity world.

On Sensitivity: The Olsen twins are blessed to have Reichenberger as their CEO. She truly cares for the reputation and security and safety of the Olsen twins and their family. She also understands that she is working with a company where the average age is twenty-six years - an age where one thinks s/he knows everything about the world. This has only taught her to conduct business intuitively and to always present many options to the company.

On Celebrity: In the USA, celebrity is taking on a creepy addiction. According to Reichenberger, celebrity branding has swept the county. For example, Sheryl Crow will be launching her own denim line. Other examples of celebrities who have launched their own lines include Hilary Duff, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, and Shania Twain.

On Security: Celebrity branding is an extremely complicated business includes the following three elements: the legal, the PR, and the security elements. The Security Company within Dualstar deals with paparazzi-reporting, fan mail, threats, security of the stars, and security of the family of the stars.

The complete article is here. I really enjoyed it, it explores the business side of Mary-Kate and Ashley!