These celebrities are targeting a specific niche of the country. Neither one is trying to appeal to the entire population. They are both excluding large segments of the potential audience. There is a real marketing benefit to this.
Both Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern appeal to opposite ends of the population spectrum. Less than half of the adults in America care about either one of them. In fact, both men are disliked by more people than listen to them. But here is the huge advantage of that; They both appeal to a small, loyal, core audience that will listen to anything they say. This core audience will buy whatever they recommend. This audience will applaud anything they say. They each have a herd of followers. Not listeners...followers.
How is this an advantage in marketing? Having 100% of the world think that you are a nice, harmless, pleasant guy will virtually guarantee that almost nobody will hate you. Almost nobody will say anything bad about you. But they won't say anything great about you either. In fact, you will almost never be the topic of conversation. Being the topic of conversation is what you want.
Mention the name Rush Limbaugh to any group, and political affiliation, any demographic, and you'll have a rant on your hands. Arguments will happen. Limbaugh will become the topic of conversation. It doesn't matter whether it's a pro-Limbaugh conversation or an anti-Limbaugh conversation. Voices will be raised. People love to listen to (and watch) confrontation. They love to slow down in traffic to watch an accident site after it has happened. It's just human nature.
Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern polarize the audience. The people who dislike them...really dislike them. The people who like them, will follow them anywhere. People will talk about them.
It's OK if it's a confrontational conversation. As long as nobody is accusing you of committing a crime. You don't want to be the topic of conversation like a Senator that is being accused of infidelity. That's not the conversation you want at all. But you want people declaring that you are absolutely right, or absolutely wrong. The people who think you are absolutely wrong, won't listen to your show (or any media you are on) anyway. It doesn't matter, from a marketing standpoint, how much they don't want to listen to you. But the opposite is not true. It matters a great deal how much the followers really want to listen to you. Their degree of loyalty to Rush or Howard's show translates into a tremendous benefit to either man.
Rush Limbaugh (like Howard Stern) can command very premium advertising rates on his show. Why? Because even though many people would never see his show, the people who would, are intensely interested in anything he has to say.
Both men have become wealthy because of their celebrity To Their Core Audience. The money comes in from advertising revenue from each man's show. Endorsements would be easy for either man to get. Speaking fees are enormous for polarizing celebrity personalities like these two men.
It isn't just men. Sarah Palin attracts a small but fiercely loyal following. Some people will hang on her every word, pay to hear her speak, and would vote for her in any election.
Three years ago, almost the entire nation had never heard of her. The sheer controversy that followed her created a loyal following. Almost everyone wants to be on one side or the other.
But the entire country was talking about her.
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