"Cross media convergence and synergy 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 media area? 

Cross media convergence and synergy are vital processes in the successful marketing of films to audiences. Media convergence, for example the use of social media, has become a crucial part of modern day marketing to the masses, and so has uses of synergy such as viral websites releasing clues to a film's plot. Without these marketing strategies films would probably have a smaller audience, and resultantly make a smaller gross.

Media convergence has become a key part of successful marketing of films to audiences. For example, YouTube has become a platform for companies to release film trailers on- and also to promote their trailers on the adverts before other videos on YouTube. Clips and sneak previews of a film can also be released, raising excitement and anticipation around the film- getting people talking, and subsequently more people aware of the film. YouTube allows an extremely large audience to easily access the film trailers and clips, and therefore more people are likely to be interested in the film and to go and see it at the cinema. This clearly results in a larger cinema audience and a larger gross. Also, it may result in a bigger younger audience, as young people are typically the group that uses YouTube the most and therefore they are the ones who will see these trailers more than any other age group (particularly the elderly).

Another integral use of media convergence is the use of social media, such as Twitter. Film companies can make accounts on Twitter for their film, and through this account they can release effective marketing like photos from the film, information about the film, links to trailers and clips, and they can also tweet countdowns to the film's cinema and DVD releases. These marketing methods create excitement and result in people tweeting about the film- spreading the word online so even more people are aware of it- and then, possibly, a larger audience will come to see it. An example of the effective use of Twitter is the marketing for The Amazing Spider-Man. There was a Twitter account created for the film that revealed a scavenger hunt with the latitude and longitude co-ordinates of markets in US cities. After they had graffitied a Spider-Man logo on a wall, whoever won this hunt was allowed to view a scene related to the film. This was an excellent piece of marketing as it raised excitement as it was a large-scale project and got people talking online, spreading the word, encouraging others to go. It also appealed to the young people on Twitter, making them talk about the film too. This spreading of the word would have resulted in a larger cinema audience and a larger gross, contributing to the film’s success.

Synergy is also incredibly vital in the successful marketing of a film to audiences. For example, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Plan:


Media convergence:


YouTube- post trailers and clips
Twitter- Amazing Spider-Man hunt thingy, post links to trailers and clips, countdown
Facebook- post pictures, links to trailers, countdown


Synergy:


Comic book prequel to Dredd
Toys for Amazing Spider-Man
Website made for Grand Budapest