Marketing and all things related

Yesterday, I published a post that was a year in review for MarketingBlurb.  Today, I thought I'd pick one of the hottest topics from 2007 and reflect back on that topic.  With that in mind, I've chosen Harry Potter as the hottest topic of 2007.  It's a topic that not only had a big marketing impact over the past decade which culimated in 2007, but it's also a topic close to me as I'm a big Harry Potter fan.

2007 started like most other years since about 2000 for J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter.  Anticipation was high for the July release of the next movie in the franchise (the fifth of seven, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), and fans were anxiously awaiting the release of the final book in the 7-book series in July, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Here are four posts from MarketingBlurb that help give some perspective to Pottermania in 2007:

• Harry Potter Theme Park to Open in Orlando, Florida
• Harry Potter, Harry Potter and More Harry Potter
• Harry Potter Beneficiaries: Amazon, Scholastic, Electronic Arts and More
• Will Buzz Marketing Hurt Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

It's interesting to look at the Harry Potter brand and see how a children's fantasy book could become one of the most successful brands in the literary and business worlds.  Already, other industries have taken cues from the success of Harry Potter (think of Halo3 launch parties) and worked to drive word-of-mouth marketing and an online buzz. 

With two more movies to be released and a theme park scheduled to open in the next couple of years, the Harry Potter will generate a strong buzz for much of the foreseeable future.  While 2007 may have marked the peak of the Harry Potter buzz, I'd imagine it will be around for decades to come.

What were your top marketing stories for 2007?