The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, from the beginning, has offered a better deal than that of all the competitors.
It began by peddling Soul Sleep and resurrection to a Paradise with a perfect body vs Eternal Torment in Hell. Who would not respond emotionally to such a choice of potential fates?
It offered a definite ending on certain dates rather than a fuzzy uncertainty. It kicked butt and took names on WHO exactly were the bad guys: Catholic Church, clergymen, politicians, etc.
In short, it crossed the line religion never wants to cross out of fear. What is the line? The line between the fantasy world and the real world.
Christians dare never cross that line or the real world will prove them wrong every single time! And that is exactly what happened to them. At first the numbers were fudged and readjusted. It was accepted because it all seemed TOO GOOD not to be true.
But, failure after failure of date setting can gnaw away at even the most robust fantasy ideal alternative. IF IT WERE NOT FOR SOMETHING CONCRETE (WWI) being big enough to attach importance to that would save face for the faltering Charles Russell prediction racket the JW's of today would be has few and far between as the desultory International Bible Students who still peddle the Divine Plan of the Ages.
The Governing Body writes different checks today on a different bank account than it did in the past. It uses real money from the pockets of the faithful sheep who are squeezed in every Kingdom Hall to fuel their real estate empire. Not a bad segue into the real world for the boys in Brooklyn. It is an awful burden to the rank and file who must pay the bill in their shabby day to day jobs as janitors.