Harry Potter – A Case Study on Cultural Diversity and Economic Power

Some 30 nationally and culturally different images of Harry Potter exist in the world – plus the one global brand promoted by the media conglomerate AOL Time Warner. This makes Harry Potter an exemplary case in the antagonism between local and global cultural identities.

An Update by Rüdiger Wischenbart

The global franchise of Harry Potter by AOL Time Warner is, according to many observers, the first reality check to the question whether integrated media conglomerates such as AOL Time Warner make sense in terms of economics. The Economist noted: 'In the real world, he is the biggest test yet of claims made by AOL Time Warner, formed in a much-hyped merger at the start of 2001, that an integrated media conglomerate can conjure up spellbinding cross-promotion synergies.'

However, to turn this concept into a success, AOL Time Warner has to gain absolute control over Harry Potter as a global brand – which means that it must push aside the 30 Harry Potter characters that have been designed locally after the books.

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