Potter publisher practices price paralysis

[kingandy]

So, Asda won't be selling the Deathly Hallows on Saturday. At this moment. Probably.

If you believe Bloomsbury it's because Asda hasn't paid; Asda, on the other hand, is of the opinion it's because they were going to sell it below the RRP. Of course, whichever of those you believe, this seems to be a case of Asda trying one on, and Bloomsbury not standing for it.

What the hell were they thinking? Yes, Asda is recently a member of the Wal*Mart Family, that globe-spanning conglomerate of calamitous intent, and if it wasn't used to getting its own way before, then its new owners certainly are. But still. This is Harry Potter we're talking about. With this brand you do not fuck.

That said, I'm slightly torn ... though it is nice to see somebody derailing Wal*Mart's general marketing strategy of "sell cheap, destroy competition", at the same time, Bloomsbury (thanks in large part to the Potter franchise) is certainly no lightweight, and it's not so great that a publisher feels it can fix prices in this way. If that is indeed what has happened.

It's basically a pissing contest, really, isn't it?

Comments

[mrssshhh.livejournal.com]

As blatant a lie as it is, I have to say the Asda PR line does carry a little bit of weight.

Though personally I don't read Potter (and, I have to say, I'm genuinely f*cked off that they've chosen my birthday to release the final book on, for a number of reasons) I have looked at the prices in the past, and Asda's PR line is correct - Bloomsbury *are* profiteering.

They know that every kid is going to want it, and through the joys of peer pressure, no-one is going to want to be the kid who gets left out. So they can charge whatever they like; people are going to have to buy the book (for themselves or for their children) in order to remain socially acceptable.

I'm saddened that smaller bookshops are essentially being screwed by the whole deal, but that is as much to do with the popularity of the brand as it is to do with evil money-grabbing.

You have to look at it from a marketing point of view. The Potter franchise is unbelievably powerful; if it's in the news then people are going to take notice. So, the marketing teams look at it this way;

Asda have a stock allocation of 500,000 books.
A successful TV and print marketing campaign at prime time with maximum coverage will cost upwards of £5-10 million.
Selling the 500,000 books at a £2 loss and carefully spitting in the publisher's eye will cost Asda only £1 million, will attract lengthy primetime coverage from the news, and will also fix am image in the public's mind that Asda are championing value and fighting for affordability for the common man.

Of course, behind the scenes, Asda would never allow themselves to lose the right to distribute Potter, and I doubt they were ever in any real risk of doing so.

This is a massive success for Asda, and it's fiendishly intelligent. It's also going to work.

Meh, there's times I feel like Will Graham in Manhunter / Red Dragon. :(

[kingandy]

Ach, I always forget to look behind the lines. Why would they imagine that they could fight Harry Potter? They wouldn't, but they know exactly how much press they'll get by pretending to do so. Now you say it, it's obvious...

"Meh, there's times I feel like Will Graham in Manhunter / Red Dragon. :("

I'm sure you do, but you can't have him.

[ephrael.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you do, but you can't have him.

Why not?

[reindeerflotila.livejournal.com]

Because he is defended by chuck Norris, obviously.


:P