Comments on: Why didn’t GM use “Harry Potter Marketing”?

By: Customers Are Talking » Blog Archive » Follow ups - Netflix & “Harry Potter Marketing”

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:10:58 +0000

[...] Does this mean that Ford is engaging in “Harry Potter Marketing” – in which a brand ages with its audience? If so, it provides a stark contrast with its competitor GM, whose attempts to reposition Cadillac triggered this recent post. [...]

By: Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:52:14 +0000

Wow! Age your brand to follow your demographic. Brilliant!

While it doesn't make sense for every product line (Dove soap?), it's certainly a concept marketers ignore at their own risk. What did it cost GM? It's scary to think.

By: Let Your Brand Get Old with Your Market « Paul-Johnson.com | Business Shortcuts from The Trouble Breaker

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:57:17 +0000

[...] was reading John Caddell’s post, “Why Didn’t GM Use Harry Potter Marketing?” In it, he points out that the book (and the movies) allow Harry Potter to grow up, so that the [...]

By: Denise Lee Yohn

Denise Lee Yohn — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:01:36 +0000

john, you've touched on a classic marketing dilemma -- does a brand evolve and grow to retain relationships with its current customer base or does it retain its existing position and focus on capturing new customers (while risking alienating its current base)?

i don't know if there's one right answer -- the decision probably depends on the competitive context, the existing equity of the brand, and the value of the different market segments.

what demographic trends do make clear, though, is that "older" customers are going to be a lot more attractive as targets than they have been in the past due to size of market and changing consumer needs/wants.

thanks for the great post!