Harry Potter magic cast as example to NI business

The magic of Harry Potter could help Northern Ireland companies sell more of their products, a University of Ulster marketing expert has said.

Speaking after winning a prestigious award at a showcase American consumer conference for his exploration of the Harry Potter phenomenon, Professor Stephen Brown said the soaraway success of the brand should be an example to Northern Ireland business.

He said: “The Harry Potter phenomenon contains important marketing lessons for every branded product, not least those from Northern Ireland. Effective branding increasingly depends on compelling storytelling and Harry Potter is exemplary in that regard.

“Consider the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. They make fantastic products. But the industry’s ability to weave compelling narratives around its products is substandard at best and lamentable at worst. They have much to learn from Harry Potter and Jo Rowling.

“Despite her claims to the contrary, J. K. Rowling is a very gifted marketer. She’s what I call an ‘authorpreneur’, that is a writer with a very strong sense of what her market wants. Harry Potter’s brand magic can rub off on everyone. Even conference organisers in Texas!”

Professor Brown scooped the Best Paper Prize at the Association for Consumer Research conference in San Antonio, Texas. His paper, “You’re a Wizard, Harry!” won the prestigious Nicosia Award at the showcase American conference, which attracts one thousand delegates each year.

“I think we’re the first Europeans to win the Award. So it’s particularly gratifying. It also bodes well for the future of our Harry Potter research project, since the conference paper was based on our preliminary findings. I guess the magic of the Harry Potter brand had a lot to do with our success," he concluded.

(MB/SP)