It’s been 20 years since J.K. Rowling published “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the first book in her famous series about wizards, dark magic and a “boy who lived”—and many are celebrating the event.
20 years ago today a world that I had lived in alone was suddenly open to others. It's been wonderful. Thank you.#HarryPotter20
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 26, 2017
The hashtag #HarryPotter20 is trending on Twitter, and the platform has added a new emoji for the celebration:
Introducing a new Twitter emoji celebrating the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone! #HarryPotter20 http://pic.twitter.com/9ueEBjCZon
— Harry Potter Film (@HarryPotterFilm) June 26, 2017
Universal Studios is unveiling a new light show, while the website Pottermore and the stage play “ Harry Potter and The Cursed Child” are running contests:
It starts tomorrow! http://pic.twitter.com/pdnc9NRNPX
— Universal Studios (@UniStudios) June 22, 2017
This week, to celebrate #HarryPotter20, audience members at the Palace Theatre could win a copy of #PhilosophersStone in their house colours http://pic.twitter.com/K7Whec0CUJ
— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) June 26, 2017
Celebrate 20 years of magic with us today! Use #HarryPotter20 and your tweet could be displayed in King's Cross: https://t.co/jS7KtSjUtE http://pic.twitter.com/V7zZmmHwPH
— Pottermore (@pottermore) June 26, 2017
Enter for a chance to win deluxe family ticket with early access to the Tour! #WizardingWednesdays #HarryPotter20 https://t.co/CpBTzXu3Nc http://pic.twitter.com/okdlGFoWpX
— WB Tour London (@wbtourlondon) June 23, 2017
However, PR pros can grab more takeaways from the “Harry Potter” lexicon than mere promotional tactics. Consider these four quotations and the insights they offer:
1. "Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."—Albus Dumbledore
PR pros can captivate audiences through storytelling, but words used inappropriately or at the wrong time can cause a PR crisis.
Select your words carefully. Help clients or executives do the same through media training and interview preparation, so no one is caught off guard when facing employees, customers or members of the press.
Dumbledore’s quote also underlines the importance of writing in the PR industry. The better you are at crafting riveting sentences in social media posts, press releases, news pitches and in brand journalism efforts, the more successful your campaigns will be.
2. “When in doubt, go to the library.”—Ron Weasely
Weasely was speaking of Hermione Granger’s love of books and learning, but PR pros don’t have to visit the nearest library to emulate the smartest member of the “Harry Potter” trio.
Instead, constantly hone your skill set by keeping up with industry best practices, gleaning ideas from competitors’ successful campaigns and learning about communications tactics.
As newsrooms shrink, communicators who have studied the art of storytelling and have perfected their pitch techniques will come out on top. For PR pros in the digital marketing and social media spaces, live streaming, virtual reality, chat bots and other technologies are changing the way consumers interact with brands. Success requires that communicators with knowledge, experience and a willingness to try new things lead the way to new PR and marketing strategies.
[RELATED: Learn secrets and best practices to discover your brand's stories and write compelling copy.]
Strengthen your skills by attending PR, marketing and social media conferences—or sign up for webinars, and learn while at your desk. There are lots of books PR pros can read with trends and case studies, or you can attend a networking event and discuss new ideas with your PR colleagues.
3. “ You're the juicy news. What quirks lurk beneath those rosy cheeks? What mysteries do the muscles mask? Does courage lie beneath those curls? In short, what makes a champion tick? Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my ravid readers. So, who's feeling up to sharing? ”—Rita Skeeter
Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter would do anything to get a story—including fabricating details to hook readers. Her bad example can be taken as a foreshadowing of the world of “fake news” in which PR pros now live.
To distance yourself from rumors and unsavory PR practices, including spin, remain ethical in all your dealings with reporters, clients, co-workers and customers. Remember that the truth often comes to the surface, so it’s best to ’fess up whenever you’ve done something wrong and explain how you’re going to rectify the situation.
PR pros should also guide consumers by clearly noting whether a given article is an ad or sponsored content, versus a news story. Remember that this applies to social media posts as well, especially if you’re paying an influential user to write about your organization.
Follow the example of outstanding reporters by double-checking your sources, stats and quotations before sending them along to a journalist covering your client.
4. “What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so naturally the whole school knows.”—Albus Dumbledore
When Potter wakes up, Dumbledore tells him that the news of his altercation with a professor (and the Dark Lord) has spread through Hogwarts.
Communicators can face similar situations when rumors abound about a potential scandal or news breaks regarding an executive. Not only must PR pros be prepared to address rumors and news that breaks, you should also make yourself “media ready.”
Act as if everything is on the record, because it often is. That guiding principle doesn’t apply to just interviews with reporters, either. With today’s 24/7 news cycle, social media trends and smartphone use, a heated argument with a customer could be the next viral video.
Overall, act wisely—and train the employees in your organization to do the same.
What communications lessons have you learned from the “Harry Potter” series, PR pros?
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