Year 12 Homework Thursday December 6th.  Answer the case study question below:

In your answer you should:
- Show how and why media institutions in your case study have been responsive to change,
- Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms. (32 marks)

’It is not the strongest that survive but those most responsive to change.’ How and why do media institutions continue to change?

The question is asking us to write about how the institutions might change their marketing to a wider audience.  Another thing we could look at is how things are distributed and sold.  Additionally the question is asking us to think about how institutions have to change their image and also how they might need to change to keep up with new a digital Media.

1. The Hunger Games - Lionsgate - have had to use a lot of social Media for their advertising.  YouTube and Yahoo for example throughout the time it was being broadcast in the cinema.
2. UGC - websites and virtual worlds.  Website example www.hungergamesarena.com- people can make profiles and become citizens of the world.   Active audiences nowadays.  They have to change to build a community and also to engage with audiences who have access to the internet and who want to be more involved with the products.
3. Paranormal Activity 4 - twitter feed to interact with audiences.  Retweet positive messages that fans give - U&G theory of interaction.  Made by Paramount - a smaller institution, less money, less budget but the film did adapt to a changing of audience expectations. Showed people watching the film in test screenings so people can see others' reactions to it.
4. Audiences don't have to buy the DVD anymore; they can access it on Love Film etc.   Film companies might have to change the quality of their product to entice people with Blu-ray or High Definition. Bonus DVDS- Attack the Block behind the scenes. 
5.  Merchandise - might have to capitalise on selling this. Hunger Games outfits- (EXAMPLE of most expensive outfit you can buy).
6. Companies have to make films or extras available for ipads/iPhones etc. to allow people to access them.
7. Streaming on the same day as the release date.
8. Advertising and Marketing - viral marketing.  (FIND EXAMPLES FOR YOUR FILMS).
9. Using popular culture to promote a film, or using nostalgia to promote.   Institutions might have to move with their audiences so as more people become internet users and become Media literate, they have a larger pool of people to market to and to connect with. 
10. More formulaic films- franchises of films that all work in the same way and on the same premise.

My Answer:

“It is not the strongest that survive, but those who are most responsive to change”, is a very true statement which describes media institutions in the current day. They are required to change all the time, whether that be widening their audience, targeting their audience in a different way, advertising in a different way, changing their branding image, or selling their products in a different way. The institutions behind my case study products (Bridesmaids, The Holiday, and Vicky Christina Barcelona) have had to do this. I can link the statement strongly to these institutions.

Firstly, film companies have to make films or extras available for iPads and iPhones etc to allow people to access their product in different ways. Everyone accesses media for different reasons, therefore institutions have to adapt to this.

Secondly, institutions may have to move away from their original idea or ideologies as they move with their audiences. Doing this will mean that have a larger pool of people to market to and connect with as more and more people become internet users/ media literate.

Thirdly, institutions have had to adapt to the vast development in social networking in order to make their films successful. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are now vital in widening your audience pool, and successfully marketing your product. Audiences want to be more involved in products, and are keen to leave their opinions. This can really help a product to survive . This was definitely the case for one of my case study institutions: the institution behind Bridesmaids. After an initial back-lash against the movie, pre-release, the director took to Twitter which saved his movie! It was reported that Paul Feig spent days on Twitter collected opinions and responses to the trailer after he heard much negative feedback. This enabled him to give the movie the best start it could possibly have- being responsive to this massive social networking development meant that the film was very successful. In fact, it went on to gross well over $200 million in the USA, and was greatly successful overseas too. May be Twitter is the way to go!

Fourthly, institutions have to adapt and be willing to start to sell their products in different ways- not just the conventional! (e.g. DVDs). Films such as Bridesmaids have started to sell in many way including Blu-ray discs, through services such as iTunes and through film rental services such as Love Film. Many of the ideas and technologies were not available a couple of years ago, yet they are now a main player in the success of a film. Audiences are now more active, and want to access films through many different platforms and in many different ways. Institutions have had to adapt to this, and invest in new ideas.

This links to the fact that institutions may have to adapt by improving the quality of their product in order to entice a larger audience. I previously mentioned Blu-ray, but high definition DVD’s have the same effect. The creation of products like these mean that film companies may have to make their products to a better quality to ensure more people will put their trust in them, and buy them. Due to modern society, many people want the best they can possibly get, and aspire to be better.

Furthermore, advertising and marketing has to adapt over time in order to make a film a success. I can see this by comparing films within my case studies. I can compare “The Holiday” and “Bridesmaids”, as they are both high budget films made in America. However, “The Holiday” was released in 2006, but “Bridesmaids” was released in 2011. Between these two years, there was massive changes in the media industry, massive development regarding social media, and massive changes in audiences (e.g. how involved they are/ how the wish to access the product). Therefore, there were massive changes in the marketing. “Bridesmaids” had to adapt their marketing from what “The Holiday” would have done, it order to ‘survive’.  For example, “The Holiday” does not have its own twitter page- only some of the involved institutions (Universal Studios and Columbia Pictures) do. This compares to “Bridesmaids”. As well as being promoted by Sony, Bridesmaids have numerous Twitter accounts, including accounts set up by fans. Examples of these are “@BridesmaidsQ” or “@BridesmaidsSay”. Here we can see a massive development. “The Holiday was successful, as was Bridesmaids, but Bridesmaids would not have been successful if they hadn’t adapted to new ways of marketing. “It is not the strongest that survive, but those who are most responsive to change”.

Despite all of this, there were mainstream marketing techniques used back in 2006 which were still used in 2011, and are still used today. This shows that it is not always necessary to change in all areas in order to be successful. Marketing techniques used both then and now include interactive websites which both “The Holiday” and “Bridesmaids” have, soundtrack albums available on iTunes, DVD’s, merchandise, podcast reviews, and official trailers.

In conclusion, it is necessary for institutions to change and adapt over time, whether this be to reach their audience more effectively, change their branding, or sell their products in a different way. Some methods do stay the same for long periods of time, however.