Is Any Press, Good Press?
Friday, July 20, 2007
Probably the most anticipated book in history is being released tonight and fans are actually avoiding the Internet and newspapers at all costs so as not to get wind of what happens to Harry, Ron and Hermione. J.K. Rowling’s books have achieved a level of fame so immense that it can be argued that the promotion is now counteracting sales efforts. How is this possible? An online retailer, DeepDiscount.com, sent copies of the preordered 7th and last installment of the Harry Potter series on Tuesday to buyers. Once Scholastic, the book’s publisher, got word, calls were made to the book buyers, requesting that they remain mum on the ending. Gift cards and Harry Potter t-shirts were offered as incentive. One of the early receivers was Baltimore Sun reporter, Mary Carole McCauley’s brother-in-law, who gave the book to Mary, who wrote a review, which was published on Thursday. The New York Times was also able to receive a copy pre-launch and published an early review. To add to the mayhem, several versions of an ending have been leaked on the Web causing an uproar among fans. I will admit that even I was cautious in reviewing articles on the topic as I plan on reading the book and don’t want the ending spoiled. It is without a doubt that Harry-obsessed devotees will be buying the book anyway, but what about those who have yet to be sucked in? If they know the ending to the entire series, why would they read it? These circumstances raise the question of whether it is really true: Is any press, bad or good, beneficial? From one perspective, it is; especially, if your company or product is not very well known. In our diverse world, there are bound to be people who will disagree with the negative coverage, gaining your company positive impressions. From another, however, bad press can cause serious damage. In the case of Harry Potter, there is probably no amount of bad press that can drive people away. The 5th movie, for instance, got mixed reviews, but it is still topping the box office. It has become almost cliché, but I have to say that Harry has cast a spell over us all. Labels: Marketing, media, Public Relations
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