“Dirty Harry” Callahan is well known as an iconic police antihero, but today we’ll look at him as a nice example of some solid marketing principles.
Dirty Harry, portrayed by Clint Eastwood in five memorable films, is appreciated for his harsh and unflinching sense of justice as well as his strange rationale for taking action. As a marketer, you might be reluctant to view a fictional character as an opportunity to improve your strategies, but Dirty Harry’s attitude and character illustrate the effectiveness of certain marketing tenets:
1. Be Ruthless When You Need to Be. Don’t hold back when it comes to undercutting your competition. All is fair in love and marketing. If you need to accelerate your program using aggressive methods—go for it.
2. Get a Catchphrase. Dirty Harry has two that even non-fans can appreciate. Don’t hurt yourself, but if you can get a catchphrase or tagline for your company, you’ll be in a great branding position and even those unfamiliar with your company will become acquainted faster.
3. Choose Your Partners Carefully. Dirty Harry suffers an extremely high partner turnover, usually due to his intolerance for inexperience and tendency to get involved in dangerous situations. When building your marketing team, make sure to take care and scrutiny when selecting the partners you’ll be working with—both inside and outside the company.
4. Create Your Own Opportunities. Search for ways you can construct an opportunity for success in a given situation. Don’t just sit and wait for something to come along.
5. Stay Alert. The minute you drop your guard, you’ll be vulnerable to attack. Stay apprised of all new developments in your given industry, especially with your close competitors, and react swiftly to retain your position.
If you liked this entry in our “marketing tips to learn from _____” series, be sure to check out our entries on Iron Man, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Terminator, and Lex Luthor, too!
