How Carrie rode her niche to the top

It’s no brain stretch to dissect exactly what won Carrie Underwood her American Idol crown. While Gawker may call her Kelly Clarkson Jr. (and they have a point), it’s clear that Underwood’s small-town charm and wholesome smile appealed to a broader audience than Bo Bice’s flip flops and lanky, laid-back ’tude. But what pushed Carrie to the final, final, final round was the fact that, like any good marketer, she knew her niche. From the start, Carrie and Bo both each appealed to their own group of core viewers.