The Cult of Personality

July 23, 2026

Image by Shubham Jana from Pexels.

One of my guilty viewing pleasures is the History Channel’s series, “The Food That Built America.” The production values are a bit cheesy, but the underlying stories can be compelling. They focus on those individuals who have had the inspiration and the passion to create foods and systems that have become an integral part of our culture.

A recent episode focused on bottled iced tea. There was a time in the not-too-distant past where iced tea, especially the pre-made variety, was not a thing. Lipton made the first foray into this space with limited success. Then a bottled juice company in New York decided to enter the game. While Snapple is a household name today, it was an unknown upstart back then.

What does this have to do with radio? The reason Snapple went from nowhere to the #1 brand in that category comes down to two words: Howard Stern.

Snapple chose Howard’s show as the fulcrum of its advertising efforts. They piggybacked on his deep relationship with his audience to create an affinity for their product. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today’s radio environment is not the same as it was in the early 90’s. The attention space is much more crowded. And, let’s face it, are there any current radio personalities that have the reach that Howard did back then? Are there any that are as entertaining AND polarizing as he was? Rush was. Maybe Stephen A is.

That said, personality endorsements continue to be a valuable—and successful—tool for radio advertising. You can’t get through a break at a Sports station without hearing at least one.

But what about the vast majority of stations that are not built upon a cult of personality? This is not to say the rank and file of radio personalities don’t have a following. They do. But do they have a product propelling fan base? Can they take a local or regional product to #1 in its category?

There are national figures like Bobby Bones or Charlamagne tha God that have both the following and the reach to move product. They are also likely too expensive for many brands.

The radio pros who have developed that level of relationship on a smaller scale tend to share a few metrics:

• Their ratings outperform the rest of the radio station. They draw in listeners for the content, not the format.
• They draw a crowd. If they do an event, people will show up.
• They influence behavior. They can stuff a truck, raise tons of money for a worthy cause, or get people involved with an issue.

These stars generate both ratings and revenue. They form lasting relationships with both listeners and advertisers. They are radio’s not so secret weapon.

As an industry, are we doing everything we can to nurture these people? Do we show them how much we appreciate their art? Do we invest in their continued success?

And, finally, are we developing the revenue generators of the future?

Personalities are radio’s great differentiator. That human connection cannot be replaced by an algorithm. Or a generic network feed.

Feel free to tell me I’m full of it: sallan@researchdirectorinc.com

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