Discus the revival of a new era magician chic Essay Example

of the aforementioned stars. Keith Barry's illusionist and magician skills are of equal merit, lacking only the prominence that has launched the others onto the global stage.

Keith Barry was born in Waterford and discovered his love for magic at the age of 14. He pursued an honors chemistry degree in Galway, and while studying, he entertained guests at various clubs and restaurants to support himself. In 1998, he moved to Dublin because he believed that the demand for corporate entertainment was highest there. Over the past two years, he has established himself as a renowned magician, performing at prestigious events like the MTV Music Awards and the Brown Thomas Fashion Show Awards. He was also the resident magician at the U2-owned Kitchen Niteclub beneath the Clarence Hotel. Keith's goals and objectives involve gaining recognition for his talents, and his rise to fame this year has been nothing short of amazing.

In recent weeks, Keith's outrageous stunts and illusions on his new show "Close Encounter with Keith Barry" have left the Irish public in awe. He has become a hot topic of conversation and with the right strategy, he can continue to rise both at home and abroad. To gain a strategic advantage over his competitors in the magic market, Keith must have a unique aspect to his show that catches the public's attention and combine it with a clear set of SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound). With this in mind, we have prepared a list of recommendations, where his most successful venture to date has been the RTE show Close Encounter with Keith Barry.

This Midas Co. production airs on Sunday evenings at

6:30pm, attracting a prime time audience and gaining maximum exposure. After airing for four weeks, the show has achieved impressive viewing rates. Following the debut episode, which featured Keith catching a bullet in his mouth, Today FM reported that over 1.5 million viewers tuned in to watch.

Keith has been using Irish stars like Niall Quinn, Pat Short, Shirley Temple Bar and Dave Fanning as guests, which has significantly raised his profile in Ireland. He will continue with this approach for another season. In addition, Keith is set to appear on ITV's Astounding Celebrities (Granada) later in 2003, marking his first major TV appearance outside of Ireland. This presents an opportunity for him to gain a following in the UK, requiring him to make public appearances like performances at awards ceremonies and celebrity parties. Keith will be returning to LA in September to develop a new show with a US network called Druidmaster, which will be aired on MTV early in 2004.

This is a great opportunity for Keith as he strives for global recognition. In the past, MTV has helped lesser-known figures like Ashton Kutcher soar to fame through his show P'unked. Keith is hopeful that he can achieve a similar level of success and break into the American market – something that many Irish stars before him have struggled to do. An appearance on MTV could open up a lot of doors for Keith, so it's important that he starts following up with public appearances immediately. One of Keith's greatest strengths as a magician is his ability to perform close-up magic, which is a rare skill set that only a few magicians in the world

possess – one of whom is renowned American magician, Paul Dee.

Close-up magic is not just entertaining, it also mesmerizes people and leaves them discussing what they have witnessed for days. Many close-up magicians choose this type of magic to see the reaction of people's faces as the impossible happens right before their eyes. Close-up magic is perfect for festivals, and it's where Keith has showcased his talents in recent years. Keith has performed his close-up magic at Slane, Witnness, and most recently, the Lisdoonvarna festival in the RDS.

Keith has several strengths, including his association with "Principle Management", which works exclusively with U2 and PJ Harvey and is instrumental in his progress. Keith's experience performing as a resident magician at U2's Kitchen nightclub and entertaining celebrities in the VIP section captured the attention of "Principle Management"'s Paul McGuinness and Sheila Roche, who agreed to collaborate with him. "Principle Management" has helped establish U2 as stars in America, which is Keith's primary focus for 2004 and an essential asset. However, Keith's main weakness is that he is not well-known in his home country.

Recently, Keith Barry's Close Encounters show on RTE has reignited the public's interest in magic in Ireland. Although the show features daring stunts like catching a bullet with his mouth and performing card tricks while bungee jumping, it lacks a specific theme and suffers from poor lighting and camera work due to being filmed outside of a proper studio. These shortcomings make certain parts of the show, especially the card tricks, unexciting. If performed in a live studio audience in one of RTE's studios, the show would greatly benefit from increased atmosphere and interactivity. This

would also allow Keith to engage with the audience and perform tricks on them, building anticipation for each stunt. Additionally, Keith has been struggling with website issues recently.

Despite the high TV viewership of his show, Keith's website often lacks sufficient information for users who manage to access it. At such a crucial moment, with fans eager to learn more about him and his magic, this can be particularly disappointing. However, Keith has already established multiple opportunities for achieving international fame in both the UK and the US through his upcoming shows. With strategic marketing and efficient coordination, he has the potential to rival renowned magicians such as David Blaine and Uri Geller.

Threats* Keith needs to be cautious not to overuse his magic tricks, or his audience may lose interest in his performance, similar to how people tired of Paul Daniels and his repeated and outdated illusions. Thus, Keith needs to consistently create fresh and innovative material to maintain his audience's attention. * Additionally, the "Masked Magician" on FOX TV poses a threat as he may expose Keith's magic secrets. Leonard Montano, also known as the Masked Magician, is popular for divulging the secrets behind some of the world's most famous magicians' tricks. Montano claims that exposing these secrets to the public compels magicians to develop new and superior techniques to enchant their audience. While this may not impact well-established magicians such as Copperfield and Blaine, it can pose significant challenges for rising magicians such as Keith attempting to break into the world's highest ranks.

Keith Barry is Ireland's premier illusionist and magician, but he must stay aware of his competitive environment and potential threats. In

the UK and America, Keith is the up-and-coming new talent in these highly competitive markets. In the UK, Keith's strongest competitors are Uri Gellar, known for spoon bending illusions, and Derren Brown, a controversial figure.

Despite a recent career slump, Gellar experienced a revival last year by participating in the jungle survival show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. The exposure he received from the show helped him regain popularity and become a major UK celebrity once again. However, his career is now in trouble once more due to David Blaine denying Gellar's claims of being his closest friend and calling him a "hanger-on" and "nuisance". Meanwhile, Darren Brown's quick rise to fame has hit a snag after his recent Russian roulette stunt with a loaded gun on Channel 4 received negative feedback from the British public.

Despite attracting three million viewers, Darren Brown's stunt received significant backlash from the media, politicians, police, and parent's groups for its trivialization of gun violence and suicide. The negativity continued to grow after it was discovered that the entire performance was a hoax, with Jersey police confirming that the firearm used only contained a blank round. Brown's significant negative press has led many to criticize his actions.
(Source: www.mirror.co)

If Keith Barry wants to achieve success in the UK, he needs to pay attention to the boundaries that he should not cross and only perform stunts that are entertaining, exciting, and socially acceptable. Any stunts similar to those of Darren Brown's that are in bad taste will incur immediate wrath from politicians, the media, and the general public. Such an occurrence could damage his nascent career irreversibly. Magicians in

America get more freedom in their choice of stunts.

In the US, TV shows prefer bold and daring content, but the country's magician industry is filled with intense competition and rivalries. Keith faces numerous competitors, such as Charles Reynolds, who was named "The American Magician of the Year" by the Society of American Magicians. Like Keith, Charles performs various card tricks, including the fast, direct, and baffling "Force of Thought", which is also used by Chris Angel and David Blaine, two other competitors of Keith. Only a few top professionals have seen this trick and incorporated it into their act, making it the set standard that Keith must achieve to remain competitive in the US.
Another significant contender in the US magic scene is Keith Leff. This magician is well-known for incredible vanish and reappear illusions.

Leff, who has won the prestigious International Brotherhood of Magicians Close Up Magician of the Year award, among others, has also appeared on WDAF Channel 4's live morning news talk show. This suggests that in the US, unlike the UK and Ireland, magicians are judged by their accolades and television appearances. However, in order to achieve international success, Barry looks up to David Blaine as his primary role model. Blaine rose to incredible levels of fame seemingly out of nowhere and on September 5th of this year, he stunned the world with his latest television special. In it, he spent over a month suspended in a Plexiglas box measuring 7 feet by 7 feet by 3 feet above the Thames River. His only companions were a set of clothes, blankets, and water.

Blaine and Keith Barry both share a similar asset: the

ability to capture the public's attention with their performance style. Blaine's audience craves fast and powerful magic, which he provides through effective tricks and illusions. His deadpan approach adds an extra layer of impact to his presentations. Keith Barry could draw from this style, as his own performance on "Close Encounters With Keith Barry" features a similar deadpan approach.

Blaine has done various television specials that include him being buried under 6 feet of Plexiglas tank filled with 4000 pounds of water for one week in "Frozen in Time" and standing on a circular platform that is only 22 inches in diameter for two days and two nights with no food, water, sleep, and nothing to sit or lean on in "Vertigo". These life-risking stunts have contributed to Blaine's remarkable success rate as the public is constantly fascinated by his original and innovative ideas. Keith must incorporate these approaches into his act to further enhance his marketing strategy, which we have previously outlined our goals and objectives for.

The text discusses the specific target markets, competitive positioning, and key elements of the marketing mix that Keith plans to use. In the short-term, Keith aims to capture a national Irish audience and cultivate a following in America and the UK through TV shows like MTV's The Druidmaster and ITV's Astounding Celebrities. Over the long-term, Keith aspires to reach international stardom and compete with well-known magician David Blaine. Specifically, Keith seeks to attract an eclectic mix of Irish fans that includes young children and old age pensioners. He tailors his tricks to suit people of all ages and genders during his show, Close Encounters with Keith Barry,

by selecting different individuals from the public for each trick.

Although his black leather jacket and sunglasses suggest that he is targeting a younger audience, Keith's affable demeanor is consistent with guests of all ages during his show. However, The Druidmaster, his program that airs on MTV America, is aimed primarily at a younger viewership. As MTV's American demographic is mostly comprised of individuals aged 12-34 years (according to the MDM website), Keith must tailor his content to suit their needs if he hopes to maintain their interest in the show. This means he must keep it exciting and dynamic with bold new material.

Keith will have the chance to increase his fame and earn money once the year of intense public scrutiny is over. A Video / DVD will be produced before next Christmas, showcasing Keith's most impressive stunts and tricks, as well as interviews and in-house documentaries that provide insight into Keith as a person. However, due to the major publicity drive required for its promotion, the video will only be initially released in Ireland and the UK. Including the US in the marketing campaign would incur significant costs without guaranteeing success and may not allow Keith to recoup his expenses. Keith has a complete monopoly on the Irish magician market, as previously discussed in Part (c) on Competitive Environment.

Keith is currently able to focus on overseas target markets, but he should also be cautious of potential threats to his current monopoly. Although he's receiving recognition in the UK and being compared to Darren Brown by the media, he hasn't gained much visibility in America yet. It will take a few more months until

The Druidmaster airs, and only then can we accurately measure its success.