Harry
Houdini, born Ehrich Weiss in 1874, dazzled American and European audiences
with spectacular magic and illusion feats until his death on Halloween, 1926.
Adapting his name from his hero, J. E. Robert-Houdin, a French magician,
Houdini quickly established himself as the top entertainer in the world in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries. While everyone knows about his marvels as a
legendary magician and escape artist, few know that much of his success was due
to superb marketing.
Here
are 5 marketing lessons learned from Houdini that you can apply to your
entrepreneurial venture (and you don't need to wear a strait-jacket or be
handcuffed to pull off this marketing magic).
1.
Always be prepared! Houdini always had a plan and was
very resourceful. He was ready for any physical or mental challenge. While
Houdini clearly took chances, he believed in managing risk. He used his
superior intellect to conduct research and obtain knowledge of all situations
and always had the right tools to get the job done. It was not uncommon for
Houdini to spend up to 10 hours a day practicing challenging escapes.
2.
Leap-frog the competition. Houdini constantly studied
the market and prepared for imitators and new competitors. He dissected
strategies used by his rivals and never let his competitors know what he would
do next. He read every book that was published on magic acquiring a personal
library of more than 5,000 volumes on the subject. While rivals were content to
break out of handcuffs, Houdini did this while suspended upside down from
skyscrapers, on top of bridges or immersed in water.
3.
Fine-tune your positioning strategy. Houdini understood
the sheer power of a brand name a century before this became all the rage in
marketing. Quality was at the heart of his value proposition, always exceeding
customers' expectations in his live performances. He knew that perception was
reality and had every detail worked out in advance to provide a superior
customer experience. While other magicians made rabbits disappear, Houdini
vanished a full-grown elephant in plain sight. To extend his brand, Houdini
went global and conquered Europe, as well as America.
4.
Build a world-class product. Houdini carefully guarded
his trade secrets and invested in his product. He diversified to build his
product line and product mix. An advocate of the kaizen approach (continuous
improvement), Houdini regularly sought incredible new offerings while enhancing
his existing repertoire of tried and true stunts. His three-minute water
torture escape from a steel-encased cabinet was world renowned. This was one of
his several signature acts that could not be replicated.
5. Be creative and never stop promoting. Houdini was the
consummate sales pro as well as the master showman and publicist. He stimulated
word-of-mouth promotion in every city he visited by promising unimaginable
events that he later successfully executed. Houdini often dropped in on local
police stations during the day in the cities he was visiting and challenged
them to keep him from escaping their most secure chains/restraints, handcuffs,
jail cells, or locks (his arsenal of four hidden keys/picks always got the job
done). The publicity gained from these teaser appearances drew huge interest to
his evening shows. The word spread nationally and internationally in an era
that had no television or internet!
Art
Weinstein, Ph.D., is a Professor of
Marketing at Nova Southeastern University. His research
interests are customer value, market segmentation and entrepreneurial marketing
strategies. He may be reached at art@nova.edu
* This post is extracted from his article "Houdini's Magical Marketing Strategies" published in the Journal of Strategic Marketing (2020). Full article: Houdini’s magical marketing strategies (tandfonline.com)
Fantastic article! It is always interesting to hear how some of the greatest prepared for what they did. Much can be applied from Houdini's teachings to our modern world. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very interesting. The connection between Houdini's way of thinking and modern marketing is educational. The fifth and final section of the post is very interesting and displays a commonality between older and more modern forms of marketing principles.
ReplyDeleteMagic always had a spot in my heart growing up. Learning card tricks, watching CDs of how to perform tricks, and more. This article ties the inner joy that his magic brought to all kinds of people, to applicable marketing lessons from the greatest magician ever. This allows for much easier, and long term understanding. Great article.
ReplyDeleteHoudini is most definitely a world wide name that everyone knows. It's referenced in songs, sayings, television, etc. In relation to marketing, Houdini masterfully marketed himself and his talents to every person no matter which background. He used these techniques to become the most successful magicians of all time.
ReplyDeleteThis was a clever article showing how marketing can be applied to any venture. Harry Houdini built a brand out of himself and treated his art in a way that was sustainable. He saw that in order to be successful he had to access all factors including risk and innovation.
ReplyDeleteUntil reading this article, I never would have put together the similarities between Houdini and marketing. I really enjoyed this article as it was informative and memorable.
ReplyDeleteThis was a wonderful and very interesting read! I never would have thought about how much effort someone could put into building and marketing themselves as a brand. Houdini became a world-wide known magician and this article provides interesting insight on how this became possible. It shows just how marketing can be applied to almost every situation we encounter out in the world.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting article. I love that we can take business ideas from a magician. It really shows that business practices can be used in every aspect of life. My favorite is the ‘leap-frog’ of the competition.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great way of showcasing the importance of incorporating marketing strategies into business ventures. It seems that regardless of the time period or industry, good marketing techniques are essential to a successful business.
ReplyDeleteCreativity can never lack when it comes from such a passionate individual like Houdini! I believe that marketing is not only a concept that continues to dwell into our personal lives, but becomes a greater sense of self-expression and wit depending on the scenario. Utilizing this magicians techniques to expand our mindset within business marketing is a stellar way to gain a humanistic view on how we can showcase our stories to the world, especially with the tangibility of a new age of technology.
ReplyDeleteCreativity can never be lacking when it comes from such a passionate individual like Houdini! I believe that marketing is not only a concept that continues to dwell in our personal lives but becomes a greater sense of self-expression and wit depending on the scenario. Utilizing this magician's techniques to expand our mindset within business marketing is a stellar way to gain a humanistic view of how we can showcase our stories to the world, especially with the tangibility of a new age of technology.
ReplyDeleteHoudini was a man well ahead of his time. If he had chosen to pursue industry or business, I am sure he would have challenged the likes of Carnegie and Rockefeller. Instead, he worked to revolutionize entertainment by establishing a brand and taking it worldwide. It sounds like the something most companies try to do today, so it is no surprise that studying Houdini's methods can prove to be fruitful.
ReplyDeleteThis well-thought-out article was a great read! Understanding how Harry Houdini applied his entrepreneurial mindset and creative marketing strategies to his career as a magician, really highlighted the fact that marketing can be applied to any field. Houdini's five concepts laid out the basics for a successful business strategy and provided useful knowledge on how to be the best at what you do.
ReplyDelete