Strategically Outrageous

I’ve written about the value of being strategically outrageous before. 

Rush Limbaugh provided a recent example of utilizing this tactic to the max.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and 41 other Democratic Senators recently sent a letter to the president of Clear Channel Communications criticizing Limbaugh for allegedly referring to all troops who opposed the war as “phony soldiers.”  The letter asked Clear Channel for a public repudiation of Rush’s comments and an on-air apology from Limbaugh who was characterized in the letter as unpatriotic.

You can read the letter here (PDF).

The letter received a lot of publicity and media coverage mostly with a negative slant toward the conservative radio talk host.  But then Rush did something very clever.  He offered the letter for sale on eBay, promising to match the winning bid from his own pocket with the proceeds being donated to a Marine Corps scholarship charity.  The letter sold for $2.1 million, a record on eBay for a charitable auction.

This stunning PR move completely turned the tables on the Democratic Senators who now must be feeling pretty silly for jumping aboard Mr. Reid's wagon. 

Sometimes the outrageous can be the most strategic move you can make.

PS. This post is about marketing, not politics, so please don't assume I'm a dittohead. 

Comments

[Jill Salisbury]

Brilliant! They are criticizing him for allegedly criticizing the troops "for exercising the fundamentally American right to free speech." I think I found a new way to spell hypocrisy, d-e-m-o-c-r-a-t! Kudos to Rush and the high bidder.