Jeff Eisenberg in his post on Joel Stein questions whether Joel is doing the right thing? So is Joel attracting an audience? You bet his boots he is. Because polarisation can be an awesome attraction factor. Polarisation is when you completely divide two groups. You move so radically to one position, that the other group has no option but to be your volatile opposition.

If you’re a smart marketer, you’ll understand that opposition is a powerful marketing tool. A book like the ‘Da Vinci Code’ sold a few million more copies because of the screaming and ranting that followed the release.

Sheer curiosity erupts. Now everyone wants to be part of the debate. And the opposition and the fans grow. Grow from nothing to a sizeable base. It’s a tricky way to create attraction. And a dangerous way–because violent opposition can often be just that–violent.

But does it create attraction? You can bet Joel’s boots it does.