I have never really anticipated a film release as highly as I did this latest Gotham City adventure flick The Dark Knight. As a bona fide Batman devotee since childhood, I was fairly impressed with Christopher Nolan’s prequel, as well as actor Christian Bale’s reflective interpretation of the character flaws and inherent contradictions of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego.

Nolan has consistently delivered strong storylines and told them by bending the rules of narrative enough to keep his audiences guessing, so I was surprised in the pre-release publicity to read that this was the first film where he had stuck to a fairly traditional story structure. Surely the man who gave us Memento & The Prestige in such distinctive style – flipping back and forth in time with skill and subtlety to tease our imaginations could work wonders with a psychotic clown bent on messing with the minds of Gotham’s finest?

And that’s another thing – the prospect of Batman’s darkest and deadliest foe The Joker – as portrayed by Heath Ledger had me hooked from the moment I heard he had been cast. Ledger is consistently good across his career but this was cast completely against his type – and somehow exactly right. So it’s fair to say I walked into the cinema with expectations approximating the height of the average cumulus cloud.

I learned my lesson from Star Wars: Episode One and know that high expectations can lead to higher disappointment. Incredible hype surrounding a product or service means you had better deliver – or you will end up looking like a pale imitation of yourself. Like those pre-bought cake mixes or the execrable Indiana Jones sequel – if the product is not as good as the packaging promises – you’re left with a funny aftertaste.

But in this case, the result is something you hope will never end. You’re left wanting more, but in a good way. My point? Marketing your business to the masses is a fickle game. Promise too much and you’re on thin ice to make sure you live up to your publicity – but promise too little – and you’re in danger of having no one notice or care.

The solution? Well, it helps to create intrigue without giving too much away – there’s no magic formula for marketing gold. But you can take a leaf from The Joker’s book. Plan well in advance, take everyone by surprise and always have an Ace in the Hole.