The Secret DVD was released in the latter part of 2006. Since then the film, which has only been released on DVD and streamed on the internet, has become an international hit. Its incredible success is due as much to the innovative way the film has been marketed as to the quality of the film or the controversy that it has provoked Love it or hate it The Secret is not going away soon.
The Secret is about the law of attraction. The law of attraction is a teaching that has been around for many years and in essence states that what you focus on, you attract. Or as Mike Dooley says in the movie, "Thoughts becomes Things". If your mind tends to focus on things that it doesn't want, then we will tend to attract more of the same.
The Secret is more documentary than drama and features many well-known teachers of the secret such as Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale, Jack Canfield and John Assaraf among others. Many of these teachers are also expert marketers and promoters.
So what is viral marketing? In many ways viral marketing is like word-of-mouth advertising on steroids. Due to the immense power of the internet it is possible to reach millions of people in a very short period of time. The Secret was immensely successful at getting the world-wide internet community buzzing.
Beginning about a year before the films release a short trailer was created. This trailer was incredibly intriguing. Everyone was wondering "What is the Secret?" The films participants, many of whom are master marketers, promoted this trailer to their customers. They were also sworn to secrecy as to what the secret was. This created a great deal of curiosity and turmoil.
I remember seeing in many forums irate students wondering why they had not been taught the secret, why were things being held back from them? This put the teacher in an awkward position and he/she was forced to say that the students already had been taught the secret but because the teacher was sworn to secrecy they couldn't tell them exactly what that was. As you can imagine, this created a huge thirst for this film. People just had to know what the secret was.
Subsequent trailers were then released which created even more thirst. What was the secret? By the time the DVD was released an incredible demand had been built up. And the momentum did not stop there. Appearances by the producer and film participants on television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live and the Ellen Degeneres Show continued the buzz.
The Secret provides us with a great lesson in viral marketing. We may not be able to create our own Hollywood movie trailers but web 2.0 resources like YouTube provide us with facsimiles. Perhaps through creative marketing, we can create the type of success The Secret has enjoyed.
Beyond The Secret Dvd
When Oprah starts talking about something, you just have to listen. When she featured an ensemble cast from The Secret on her show, you really had to perk up your ears and open your eyes.
I glanced at the TV and turned up the volume. I was thinking if there was a secret, Victoria couldn't be far behind. I watched anxiously for a parade of barely clad beauties to bless the stage. They never materialized.
Instead a group of extremely animated speakers kept mentioning something called the Secret again and again. What in the name of Oprah is this? What the heck were these outwardly sane looking people talking about? A new Religion? A new reality TV show? A new YouTube sensation?
They captured my attention even though new age metaphysical philosophy is not high on my list of priorities. But this was coming from a lady who did a serious discussion on 'poop with dignity' on national TV and pulled it off. Lets give credit where credit is due. Oprah can give class to anything.
As I watched her animated guests I became hooked. I had to see this Secret DVD that they were discussing in such glowing terms. I just had to get my hands on this video and judge for myself.
I watched it on my laptop in one sitting. I was transfixed. I was mesmerized. I was completely surprised with the message being explained.
Could there be any substance to this theory?
Throughout history there was one secret that all the great minds knew about and kept from us? Could there be an underlying force or law of nature determining the outcome of every aspect of our lives? Wealth, health, happiness, relationships... you name it and it's controlled by this law of nature.
The one factor which determines whether we succeed or fail. The one factor which holds the key to our destiny. Basically, this law of nature or this force is simply mind over matter. We can use our minds and thoughts to attract the things we truly desire in life. This law of attraction is one enormous step towards empowerment...
...if you believe it!
That's the whole crutch of this argument. From a realist's viewpoint this is a very hard swallow! As for me, I found it extremely difficult to get past the 'hogwash' test. I would imagine it may be too far 'out there' for many people - think Shirley MacLaine's beliefs on steroids!
But even the most skeptical of us will realize or have some understanding of how powerful our own minds are in determining what happens to us. Our thoughts and beliefs really do shape us into what we are. Our minds may just be the last great mystery or frontier we have yet to explore.
The mind can determine how we feel. It can heal. It can largely affect the outcome of our lives. But can it really send out a metaphysical force and attract the things we want and desire to us? I believe the jury is still way out on that one!
However, the Secret DVD is a complete joy to watch. If you can get over the idea of this life controlling force of nature dictating our very existence, the actual watching of the Secret itself is simply amazing.
Coming from a teaching background, I was pleased with how effective this video teaches its message. The hour and half just flew by and the over all effect was one of exhilaration and liberation.
It can be easily seen why this Australian film produced by Rhonda Byrne and directed by Drew Heriot has become a worldwide self-help phenomenon. It features such pundits as Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For The Soul), Bob Doyle, Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale and many more. It is an excellent marketing package.
Good visuals, quick editing and excellent graphics put this film above most documentaries you will ever see. Great production values enhance the Secret's message and power. Regardless of whether or not you're in the choir or heckling from the bleachers, the Secret DVD is definitely worth your time.
It is really more an experience than a video or film, it has the power to open the eyes of even the most reluctant skeptics out there. It has the power to stop you in your tracks and make you take a second look at your life, where you're going and where you want to go?
The energy of the Secret DVD is simply infectious. You will be changed by just having viewed it. How much you derive from the Secret will largely be determined by how open-minded you are?
But there is no denying it, the Secret has power. The power to move you. The power to change you. The power to make you open your eyes and take a hard close look at your life and where you're going. Now that's a secret worth having.
Both Douglas Reach & Titus Hoskins are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Douglas Reach has sinced written about articles on various topics from Online Marketing, Spyware and Attracting Mate. Douglas Reach writes on many subjects in the fields of music, self-development, spirituality, technology and internet marketing. Find out more about the secret. Visit. Douglas Reach's top article generates over 2400 views. Bookmark Douglas Reach to your Favourites.
Titus Hoskins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Desktop, RSS and Computers and The Internet. The author is a full time Internet Marketer with numerous sites on the web, including two niche sites on Internet Marketing. His main site is http://www.bizwaremagic.com. Titus Hoskins's top article generates over 49500 views. Bookmark Titus Hoskins to your Favourites.
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