A Magical Introduction To Public Relations

If you were any place in the civilized world toward the end of June 2006 you probably witnessed public relations working its magic. While the release date of the final installment in the series of Harry Potter novels wouldn't normally be announced for half a year, something extraordinary happened. On a British talk show, author, J.K. Rowling, mentioned that two familiar characters would meet their doom in book number seven, and that one of them might be young Mr. Potter himself.

This short dialogue set an avalanche of press coverage into motion. All the major television networks and their web and cable counterparts covered the story. Additional info gave the story a prominent spot in its pages and on its website. Even the venerable Wall Street Journal gave it a mention. The story also graced the pages of newspapers around the world because of news wire services such as the Associated Press and Reuters.

The trade journal Ad Age covered the story and the story behind the story- the reason this announcement is such a big deal.

When you look beneath the surface you see that it's not only in Ms. Rowling's interest to keep her work in the general public eye, it really is significant to the book's publisher, the producer and distributor of the popular Harry Potter movies, and a countless number of companies that produce and sell Potter paraphernalia. Because the Harry Potter brand has reached a fanatical popularity with children and adults everywhere it is also in the interest of television producers, newspaper editors and magazine publishers to cover this announcement. Why? A mere mention of the boy wizard's name gets the instant attention of viewers and readers which is good for the business covering the story and ideal for those who advertise with them.

"The Harry Potter phenomenon started with a distinctive product: an engaging, imaginative novel that bridged generations by captivating children and adults alike. more info stemming from the first book made Harry into a 'star' that became as newsworthy as anyone on the Hollywood A-list," says Michael Drabenstott, a partner in SPARK a PR and marketing firm located in suburban Philadelphia. "The public wanted to know about Harry and journalists willingly obliged. Each successive book stimulated additional excitement and buzz. When people you trust and admire talk about a product, you're more prone to buy it so you, too, can become section of the conversation," Drabenstott concludes.

Here is the win-win-win situation developed by the unique type of marketing created through PR. Individuals delivering the message win by getting the word out about their work, those delivering the message win because it draws the public with their information outlet, and the consumers win since they get access to the info that they crave. Here is the magic of pr.

Gaetan T. Giannini Jr. is Chairman of the business enterprise, Management & Economics department at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. He could be also President and Chief Consultant of Giannini Marketing. A company that focuses on marketing technical and industrial products, and also products sold in to the affluent marketplace.