Harry Potter’s Marketing Magic

The end of the Harry Potter era has finally arrived. For those of us who started reading these books in the first grade (ahem), it is a very emotional time. The story has completely mesmerized all its readers and viewers. And now, all that is left for the "Muggle" world is to tearfully watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. Even though the magic will be over, there is still much we have to learn from the Boy-Who-Lived and his creator.

J.K. Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, had no idea what she had started when she wrote the first Harry Potter novel. It was just an idea she had. She was a single, unemployed mother who had just lost her own mother and was living on state welfare. She said at that time she saw herself as "the biggest failure she knew". Little did she know, that she was about to launch not only her book, but a business.

According to an article on Entrepreneur.com, five elements have made the success of the Harry Potter brand possible:

1. A Good Product

   • Consumers’ expectations were consistently met with the books, movies and merchandise. Rowling always kept us wanting more and never failed to come through.

2. Emotional Involvement

   • Your product needs to be more than a product to the consumer; it needs to be a want, maybe even a need (just as many of us "need" our Starbucks coffee in the morning). This creates loyalty between you and your customer.

3. Spreading the Word

   • Word-of-mouth and the Internet are very powerful tools- use them! People want to discuss your product or hear more about it. Give them something to read when they type your brand name in the Google search box.  In the case of Harry Potter, fans want to socialize and communicate how they feel with other Potter lovers.

4. Tease

   • Like Rowling did so well, leave your customer wanting more! Give them sneak peeks into your next product. Hold promotional events, giveaways and contests.  This drives word-of-mouth and boosts sales. Rowling is doing an excellent job of this with the trailers for the final movie and the sneak peek into Pottermore. Even I reread the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, because I couldn’t handle the anticipation.

5. Consistency and Restraint

   • Consistency and meeting customer expectations creates loyalty among customers. When needed, you must also exercise restraint. Rowling even denied merchandise pitches from McDonald’s™. She decided that Harry Potter brand did not belong in a Happy Meal™. 

The Harry Potter brand has remained consistent over the past decade. Millions of people are loyal to Potter and his world. In order to be successful, your brand needs to be an experience, as Rowling’s was. Once you achieve that, maybe you will create the next leading brand (or Harry Potter).  

Alexandra Prestia, Social Media/Public Relations Intern, Summer 2011