Seth Godin thinks that the Harry Potter publisher wasted $20 million on security efforts to keep the book under wraps before the release tonight/tomorrow. I think he’s missing the point. They didn’t spend a dime on security. They spent $20 million on marketing. Damn effective marketing, if you ask me. Without the pretense of the “security” the release of the photo images never would have been the headline grabbing stunt it was. The $20 million they’ve ostensibly spent on security measures keeping the book under-wraps has been more effective at keeping the news of the book in the press than $20 million of traditional advertising. Ineffective? Hardly. It even made *me* pay attention–and I’ve yet to read one of the books.
I think his idea of releasing the book with all but the three chapters is interesting. But so what? Then they hype surrounds leaking the last three chapters, rather than the whole book. And what do you gain? Not much. But you lose all that press from the leaking of the whole book…
The secrecy surrounding the release of this book was “security theatre” on a level unmatched except maybe by the TSA. I’m surprised Godin missed that. I think it was a brilliant way to use $20million. Beats the hell out of bus ads.
Actually, i don’t think it was wasted at all. I think I said they could have “saved” the money by not worrying so much about security. In other words, make the theatre real theatre (like the TSA) and don’t sweat the impossibility of data security.
thanks for reading.
I’m pretty bummed I know the ending.
Some supposed anti-pagan nut job broke in to a warehouse, read it, then spammed several sites and I accidentally stumbled upon it. *Yahoo had the ending as a “try one of these other Harry Potter searches…” sniff.
Like finding out two minutes before Leia lays a wet one on Luke in Empire that Luke’s actually their brother, and Vader’s their hunka burning love Dad who actually BUILT C3PO. It will skew my reading a bit, knowing. I am pretending not to know, but it’s too brilliant not to be true.
I didn’t read any of the books because grown adults don’t have Potter parties…my feelings in grad school.
I got ’em for my kid, got sucked in, and have decided I’m supporting women writers.
I’m sick of Rowling getting belittled for her talents because she’s a woman writing for children, teens, adults, heathen pagans.
She’s a genius. A nice one, cute and petite who makes good cakes, yeah, but still every bit as worthy a literary title with the greats as anybody else who ever inspired an entire generation of readers.
*Sorry. Killing time waiting on my pre-order to get here. I might end up cracking and going to a local book store tonight. I don’t want any of the rest of the story ruined for me.
I guess if you promise kill Potter or one of his closest friends, then killing Lupin is kind of betrayal of readers hopes. If you plan that big campaign, then you have to back it up with product.