Yes, another Harry Potter post, but the clock is ticking fast and the release of what is possibly the most widely anticipated book ever written is almost upon us. Like most Harry Potter fans, I've been doing everything in my power to avoid reading or hearing any spoilers about the plotline of the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series. From a business perspective, however, the question has been asked whether the buzz marketing associated with Harry Potter, which often manifests itself in the form of real and fake spoilers, will negatively impact sales of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Earlier this week, J.K. Rowling published a plea to the world saying, "We are almost there! As launch night looms, let's all, please, ignore the misinformation popping up on the web and in the press on the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'd like to ask everyone who calls themselves a Potter fan to help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day. In a very short time you will know EVERYTHING!"
According to the Wall Street Journal, most fans, like me, want to read the ending of the Harry Potter series for themselves and are desperately trying to avoid spoilers. Ann Binkley, a spokesperson for Borders Group Inc. (NYSE: BGP) stated that retailers don't anticipate a drop in sales as a result of leaked plotlines and spoilers, and even if fans do hear a spoiler, they are highly likely to purchase and read the book anyway.
I can't think of many other movies or books that have such a strong fan-base that sales aren't impacted by premature disclosure of information people have been desperately waiting to learn for years. Yes, Harry Potter is not just a brand or product. It's an empire and an amazing case study for marketers to study for many years to come.
Read more about Harry Potter in these MarketingBlurb posts:
Harry Potter, Harry Potter and More Harry Potter
Harry Potter Beneficiaries: Amazon, Scholastic, Electronic Arts and More
Harry Potter Theme Park to Open in Orlando, Florida
Read more about Harry Potter from the Know More Media network of business blogs:
Publishing Spotted: Potter Poetry, Second Secrets and B-Believing
so so so sad end!
Posted by: Harry Potter dies on the end! | July 21, 2007 1:20 PM | Permalink to Comment