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06-26-2005, 08:25 AM
| | |  Is 'Harry Potter' a brand?
The Observer has a new article which looks at the marketing campaign of the Harry Potter books and asks what it is about Harry Potter that makes it a brand. Quote:
Our understanding of brands ranges from 'it's a logo' to 'it's a set of values by which you organise and drive a business'. On the first, simple definition, Harry Potter's lightning flash is becoming as recognisable as Nike's swoosh or the golden arches of McDonald's, and he has many other distinctive brand elements such as ownable words. 'Quidditch', for example, was recently voted one of the nation's favourite words, even though it has yet to find its way into most dictionaries.
Quote:
A book by Stephen Brown -Wizard! Harry Potter's Brand Magic - makes clear that this success is a triumph of marketing. Perhaps not marketing in its most traditional or conventional form, but marketing as it has been developing and will continue to develop. Harry Potter - or his creator, JK Rowling, and the marketing machine that now surrounds her creation - has used the techniques of branding and marketing in a way that can only be envied (and will no doubt be copied) by other super-brands.
Quote:
The basic argument is that Rowling, far from being hijacked by the marketing sorcerers who have exploited her innocence, is actually something of a marketing professor herself, even if she has never had a day's academic education in the subject. She has created Harry Potter using branding techniques and the books themselves are full of brilliantly invented brands, corporate strategies, advertising campaigns and every element of the marketing mix. In effect, they make a textbook case for marketing.
The rest of the article can be read here.
Source: HPANA  | |
06-26-2005, 08:28 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Dragon
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 20,807
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Tyler Perkins
First Year | Farmer Carter | | Ama's Secret
emm okay, i prefer teh word ton-tongue toffee, its more fun  | 
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06-26-2005, 09:10 AM
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#3 (permalink)
|  String QueenBicorn
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Busy w/ homework & ba
Posts: 1,904
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Rollo Michael Chou (M, current), Ceci & Diana Wei
Second |
Interesting. I've never thought of Harry Potter becoming a "brand".
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06-26-2005, 10:13 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Mooncalf
Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: A pretty town in a pretty state, Australia
Posts: 537
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It's actually amazing the amount of Harry Potter merchandise there is. At a popular department store here, there's actually a row dedicated to Harry Potter. Then there's stuff in other rows, like the lego.
It's true what they say about the words. The books are so easy to make merchandise out of. A friend of mine always wore a hat with the word Quiddich on it, there's numerous folders, notepads, etc with the snitch on it and Harry's scar is basically on anything Harry Potter.
So yeah, I guess Harry Potter is a brand now. | |
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06-26-2005, 11:08 AM
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#5 (permalink)
|   cookie loving Slytherin Crup
Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: VA
Posts: 2,355
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I really agree with this article. I'm not so sure it bothers me, though, because JK Rowling's writing is sincere and you can tell she really, really cares about it. When it comes down to it, the books are what's important to me, not the fact that kids can buy Harry Potter bedsheets or I could go buy a Harry Potter sweatshirt at PacSun. If she can manipulate it in a way so that it's marketed to make millions, well...that's not illegal. Harry Potter may be a brand, but it's also still a series of books that is absolutely amazing. Besides, Rowling does a lot of good things with that money of hers (i.e. charities, obviously).
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06-26-2005, 11:26 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Mooncalf
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In my memory warehouse. I Duddits!!!
Posts: 529
|  But its so much more!
Of course HP is a brand.
As soon it is mentioned, you identify with it immediately.
However, i believe that HP has become a 'higher' brand that no other subject could achieve.
The article makes reference to Nike with its "swish tick" as its logo. But HP is so much more than that. It has its spells (allohmora), games (quidditch), names (dumbledore & hogsmede), animals (hippogriff) and its castle (hogwarts).
HP has so many words interrelated within it that if you mention these words, they will be instinctly re-called back to HP.
Companies involved in sports, clothes or food, for example, have no comparison to make.
With returning reference to Nike, it has nothing else to offer other than its name and logo that will make you think of it.
HP has an opposite affect. Say quidditch, dumbledore or hogwarts and people know what your talking about.
But it must also be made clear that HP is more than just a brand. It has become a world domination fenominon.
The franchise of games and toys is for the entertainment of its younger audience. There are still millions of people who just own the books and for them (myself included) that is enough.  | |
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06-26-2005, 01:07 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Augurey
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Typing on the computer at Hogwarts (Is that possible?)
Posts: 819
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erm, right. Who really cares that it's a brand? That just makes it better for fans.
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06-26-2005, 01:41 PM
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#8 (permalink)
|  SS Featured Artist
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Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: On Team Otty! ♥
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Ottery St. Catchpole
Third Year |  Watch I'm going to write a good book and then I'll be rich...*hopes* Paris & Kellybear r luv :Read Otty 's fics:Gone With the Wind:I♥Rupert
*having read the whole article* It's really a pity that people think someone writing a good, solid story is good marketing...here I thought it was just plain good writing...*turns to Teddy on the drums* Ba Boom Tish!
She wrote a good book! It's really that simple people, more authors should try it, and then everything else fell into place...OMG! No one's talking about Tolkien being a master of marketing...other 'evil' people do this stuff...
They're really not evil either...I need my HP pens and journals, and books (no not THE books) and stuff...
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06-26-2005, 02:05 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| Portuguese Moderator Thestral
Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Neverland
Posts: 39,664
Hogwarts RPG Name:
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Fifth Year | Potter’s Princess A+ FangGirl
^^ exactly!
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We spent time here. We made friends here. That's a part of us.
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Maybe we'll see our kids come here one day.
That's the thing about Hogwarts.
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06-26-2005, 03:04 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| *in love with the 80's* Imp
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 119
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I suppose you could call it a brand. I mean there's so much stuff companies made with HP logos (toys,clothes,ect.). I don't think it really matters. As long as we have THE books we should be okay. (though some places ,such as Hot Topic, has the coolest HP shirts lol!)
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06-26-2005, 03:46 PM
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#11 (permalink)
| | Ghoul
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Marietta, Georgia!
Posts: 588
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They make it sound like she sat down and said " I am going to write a book filled with all these marketing techniques so that I can be rich!" No! She wrotegreat books and that's why it sells. | |
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06-26-2005, 04:07 PM
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#12 (permalink)
| | Dugbog
Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hufflepuff Common Room
Posts: 634
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Harry Potter a brand ya i can see it
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06-26-2005, 04:41 PM
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#13 (permalink)
| | Bowtruckle
Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: FASHIONave
Posts: 234
Hogwarts RPG Name:
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Sixth Year |
I didn't kno it was a brand. How great.
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06-26-2005, 04:44 PM
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#14 (permalink)
| | Bowtruckle
Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: FASHIONave
Posts: 234
Hogwarts RPG Name:
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Sixth Year |
It's amazing how big Harry Potter has gotten. It should be a brand. It should be so much more!!
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06-26-2005, 05:03 PM
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#15 (permalink)
| | Nogtail
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: On Mount Olympus with the other RP Gods
Posts: 337
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hah. i'm sorry i just think that's kind of funny.
it's an accidentally brilliant marketing scheme
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06-26-2005, 05:05 PM
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#16 (permalink)
| | Faerie
Join Date: May 2005 Location: SS! day and night!
Posts: 3,799
| ♥ Doctor Sarah ♥ Rupert's Teddy Bear
I agree with Ottery.......
the book is just a piece of good writing!!!
and a brand is made of everything thats a success...so if HP is made a brand it'd be no surprise,,,anyways just so long as the books are great...who cares abt anything else!!!!!!!!!
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06-26-2005, 05:19 PM
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#17 (permalink)
| Scandinavian Mod Chimaera
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,755
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Well I don't really care as long as it's here and HBP will be out in July! - brand or not...
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06-26-2005, 05:29 PM
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#18 (permalink)
| Band Geek Kappa
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In a small town which is never really mentioned
Posts: 1,021
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I would buy it if it came out....
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06-26-2005, 06:02 PM
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#19 (permalink)
| | Banshee
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: scotland, the counry
Posts: 16,448
| Keeper of Mr Tennant's specs
ther eis no doubt that HP is a brand but it is a brand aimed at primary school aged children from 6-12 not older people
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06-26-2005, 06:12 PM
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#20 (permalink)
| | Occamy
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,872
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
Quote:
Originally Posted by karen_ginger ther eis no doubt that HP is a brand but it is a brand aimed at primary school aged children from 6-12 not older people  Mean! That's not always true. I'm 20 and buy HP stuff. I've got several HP shirts, a slytherin tie, and plan to get a bag as well. I got my eyes checked last week, and needed to buy new frames. They had, I couldn't believe it, but they had Harry Potter eyeglass frames! I almost bought them.......
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06-26-2005, 07:10 PM
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#21 (permalink)
| | Guest |
To be a brand or not to be a brand? Hmm...that's a tough question. There is alot of Harry Potter merchandice...there might as well be Harry Potter stores. *shrugs* Perhaps.
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06-26-2005, 07:22 PM
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#22 (permalink)
| | Imp
Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Little Winging, Surrey
Posts: 121
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God, I'd die if there were HP stores!!! *Drewls at the thought*
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06-26-2005, 07:29 PM
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#23 (permalink)
|  Pink is the new blackJobberknoll
Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: burning down the highway skyline...
Posts: 478
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I think that Harry Potetr has definitely become a brand over the last few years. People see something that loads of people love so they take it and try and get as much money out of it as possible. No wonder I'm so obsessed  It's not Jo's fault she's a genius.
tania* | |
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06-26-2005, 09:16 PM
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#24 (permalink)
| | Ramora
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sitting in a dark room in disbelief of book 6 and waiting for film 4-EEK!!
Posts: 355
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Quote:
Originally Posted by *Snivellus* Well I don't really care as long as it's here and HBP will be out in July! - brand or not... I agree...Couldn't have put it better myself! 
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06-26-2005, 09:22 PM
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#25 (permalink)
| | Poltergeist
Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK
Posts: 17,097
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Marcella Riddle
Graduated | Kaplinski Rival Sorting Hat Machine
Quote:
ther eis no doubt that HP is a brand but it is a brand aimed at primary school aged children from 6-12 not older people
Mean! That's not always true. I'm 20 and buy HP stuff.
What Kaz means is that a lot of it is marketed at kids. Although slowly people are realising there's an adult market out there now that a lot of fans have grown up. I don't think she meant that HP is intended for people below the age of 12 (seeing as she's 19 herself I can't see her saying that!)
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