Between magic and bag of tricks
Books&more Harry Potter is a textbook example of effective branding. And its author is a self-marketing icon on par with Madonna.
Branding Harry Potter is a school example
for efficient branding. And its author a
self-marketing icon like Madonna.last Saturday, October 1, at
At midnight, local fans received the German-language edition
of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". The Weltbild
publishing house finally took orders, the letter carriers of the
Swiss Post crept from door to door in the middle of the night.
A little later, between 7.30 and 9.30 a.m., amazon.ch served its
impatient customers. But the bookworms were rewarded with the
wondrous tome also comes with a free breakfast surprise.
With the sixth and penultimate book in the series, J.K.
Rowling continues to write her success story. The numbers speak for themselves
for itself: 260 million copies sold worldwide, in 62 languages
translated. Plus 20 million video games sold and a
film trilogy, which grossed a total of over 2.5 billion dollars. The
Harry Potter brand, which is now owned by Warner Brothers, is
currently worth four billion dollars. And Rowling, the former
Cinderella is now richer than the Queen.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice books are pure marketing. That's the bottom line
by Stephen Brown, Professor of Market Research, in "The Message of the
Sorcerer's apprentice". Any idiot could write a novel; write it in
of this magnitude requires true genius.
And he attests to this for Rowling,
refusing to give interviews, deliberately spreading rumors, in short: a virtuoso with
the media - and therefore their readers. Brown compares them with
Marketing naturals like Madonna or Steve Jobs.
The campaigns surrounding the sales launch are part of a staging,
such as books delivered too early or stolen by mistake. In
Canada, a court ordered the purchasers of erroneously pre-sold
Copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the book until
to read or talk about at the start of sales. Whether such
Whether breakdowns are breakdowns or more is irrelevant. The media
report on it and increase how the literary critics' reviews,
the edition.
Rowling not only markets her work skillfully, she packs it full of
Marketing. For Brown, the Potters are full of brilliant brand and marketing ideas.
Product concepts. For example, the Weasley brothers' joke articles, the
Feuerblitz racing brooms or the accessories that all those who work in
want to learn magic at Hogwarts. But Rowling is also capable of irony, for example
with the pomaded teacher Gilderoy Lock and his hair care products.
for efficient branding. And its author a
self-marketing icon like Madonna.last Saturday, October 1, at
At midnight, local fans received the German-language edition
of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". The Weltbild
publishing house finally took orders, the letter carriers of the
Swiss Post crept from door to door in the middle of the night.
A little later, between 7.30 and 9.30 a.m., amazon.ch served its
impatient customers. But the bookworms were rewarded with the
wondrous tome also comes with a free breakfast surprise.
With the sixth and penultimate book in the series, J.K.
Rowling continues to write her success story. The numbers speak for themselves
for itself: 260 million copies sold worldwide, in 62 languages
translated. Plus 20 million video games sold and a
film trilogy, which grossed a total of over 2.5 billion dollars. The
Harry Potter brand, which is now owned by Warner Brothers, is
currently worth four billion dollars. And Rowling, the former
Cinderella is now richer than the Queen.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice books are pure marketing. That's the bottom line
by Stephen Brown, Professor of Market Research, in "The Message of the
Sorcerer's apprentice". Any idiot could write a novel; write it in
of this magnitude requires true genius.
And he attests to this for Rowling,
refusing to give interviews, deliberately spreading rumors, in short: a virtuoso with
the media - and therefore their readers. Brown compares them with
Marketing naturals like Madonna or Steve Jobs.
The campaigns surrounding the sales launch are part of a staging,
such as books delivered too early or stolen by mistake. In
Canada, a court ordered the purchasers of erroneously pre-sold
Copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the book until
to read or talk about at the start of sales. Whether such
Whether breakdowns are breakdowns or more is irrelevant. The media
report on it and increase how the literary critics' reviews,
the edition.
Rowling not only markets her work skillfully, she packs it full of
Marketing. For Brown, the Potters are full of brilliant brand and marketing ideas.
Product concepts. For example, the Weasley brothers' joke articles, the
Feuerblitz racing brooms or the accessories that all those who work in
want to learn magic at Hogwarts. But Rowling is also capable of irony, for example
with the pomaded teacher Gilderoy Lock and his hair care products.
Brown's message: No other bestseller teaches you so much.
entertaining, vivid and efficient way of building brands,
how marketing works. Brown himself has obviously learned the lesson well.
learned: His book is published shortly before The Half-Blood Prince.
Roger Hausmann
The Message of the Sorcerer's Apprentice by Stephen Brown. Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich 2005. 234 pages, 36 francs.
