Synergy & Cross-Media Convergence Essay -

Essay Question: "Synergy and Cross-Media-Convergence are vital processes in the successful marketing of media products to audiences." To what extent do you agree with this statement in relation to your chosen media area?

In the film industry, the statement “synergy & cross media convergence are vital processes in the successful marketing of media products to audiences” applies to the way in which Film industries market their media products to different audiences. The Film industry consists of Conglomerates and Subsidiaries. Conglomerates being the parent companies and Subsidiaries the smaller companies that are acquired by the conglomerates.

There are 5 main Conglomerates in the film industry, these are ‘The Big 5’. ‘The Big 5’ consists of Disney, Universal Pictures, Paramount, Warners Bros and Columbia. ‘The Big 5’ was Originally ‘The Big 6’ but in 2019 Disney Acquired Fox making it what it is today, ‘The Big5’. These Conglomerates are also the Oligopolies of the film industry, meaning that they have the monopoly of the film industry. In New Zealand however there is the NZFC, Which is the New Zealand Film Commission that is funded by the New Zealand government. 

Synergy and Cross media convergence play a big role for film industries in helping market the films in order to capture and engage the audience with the ‘new’ media. Synergy in the Film industry is defined as, involving a strategy of synchronising and forging connections between directly related areas of entertainment.

An Example of this is the way in which Disney uses Synergy as promotional aspects of their films, for example, The Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Marvel Cinematic Universe uses synergy in the pencil cases, posters, decor, and merch that is made that advertises the films created. Disney not only uses real life things to advertise their media but they also use things like theme park rides as a different form of synergy.

Cross-media Convergence on the other hand also involves media Promotion and how the films are distributed and advertised. Continuing on with my example of Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they also use Cross-Media Convergence creating Games that can be played on the PS5, Soundtrack themes that are released on Spotify, Promo Information and Interviews.