Is Imitation The Secret to Success?

When former NFL superstar Michael Strahan ended his Hall-of-Fame football career and began working on TV for the FOX NFL Sunday pre-game show, it was apparent that his charisma and on-air presence was something special.

He has since taken his talent across a number of non-sports platforms, most notably co-hosting ABC’s Good Morning America, along with Live! with Kelly and Michael and hosting various game shows and other syndicated shows.  He’s really good.

And now, another former NFL star, Nate Burleson, who demonstrated post-football career talent on the NFL Network and CBS’ “The NFL Today,” is doing the same thing, sort of. Burleson, who’s also really good on the air, is co-hosting “CBS Mornings.”

First ABC.  Now CBS.

It has worked for ABC.  Now, will it work for CBS?  Both Strahan and Burleson have a coolness about them.  The “it factor” — something you can’t teach.

We’ve seen it before in social media and other forums where copy-cats emerge when one platform or network sees the success of another and tries to duplicate it.  Hopefully this instance of “hey, let’s do it, too” approach has some long-term sustainability and success.