Synergy is the process by which media institutions use a range of platforms to promote, sell and distribute their products. Assess the impact of synergy in your cross-media study.
Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms. (32 marks) 

As mentioned in the question, synergy is the process by which media institutions use a range of platforms to promote, sell and distribute products. To elaborate on this, this may come in the form of selling merchandise like clothing and interiors with the same design as the main film marketing (poster and website eg).

My case study films are Bridesmaids and I Give It A Year. I Give It A Year was released in February 2013, and so is very recent and has many examples of this, as does Bridesmaids.

Bridesmaids was released in corporation with a variety of different institutions, the main ones being Universal Pictures and Relativity Media. They have a variety of different websites (e-media) working in corporation with them to sell clothing merchandise, and this is a perfect way to advertise and promote their film. When conducting my research I found a variety of websites, but one in particular seemed to be very successful. Not only will it remain much longer than the television or print advertising (consequently encouraging more people to watch the film in the future), it will make the brand much more money. Fans are likely to spend money on merchandise which will make much more than the film alone would. Consequently, clothing merchandise has a very significant impact for Bridesmaids.

Synergy also occurs within e-media in the form of social networking. The institutions behind the films (Universal Pictures and Relativity Media for Bridesmaids, and Working Title for I Give It A Year) set up Twitter and Facebook accounts. These are a free way of making lots of money. They are using the new platform of e-media to indirectly sell, promote and distribute their product. It quickly promotes the brand in a different and interactive way to a very wide audience, who are using these sites for social interaction. The ability to leave comments and discuss opinions on the films in question is exactly what the target audience wants, and so this method of synergy also has a very significant impact. Not only does it reach the target audience, but it reaches a much wider audience who aren't necessarily primarily involved. Both "I Give It A Year" and "Bridesmaids" are both promoted through Twitter accounts. For example, Bridesmaids are promoted through Universal Pictures, and this account has over 200,000 followers. It is also promoted through fan made twitter accounts such as "BridesmaidsQuotes", although this doesn't count as synergy as it is not organised by the institution themselves. 

Overall, synergy can be very effective in promoting a film to a much wider audience, as well as making more money in the long run for the institution.

Lifestyle programming mini case study ~ “Gok’s Style Secrets”

“Gok’s style secrets” is a lifestyle programme which was newly aired in 2013, and mixes both fashion with dating. It has become a successful British lifestyle programme, named purely because it centres around how simple styling secrets can change your luck on the dating scene. It is presented by well recognised TV star Gok Wan, and it very much follows a standard genre template, most probably established by Gok Wan’s earlier shows like “Gok’s Fashion Fix”, and other styling shows such as those presented by Trinny and Susanna. We receive from the show very much what we expect to. It does a very good job in staying current, as it doesn’t feature strongly (if at all) around the nuclear family and the conventional family representation. In fact, it embraces modern society and the problems it faces, helping single woman to over-come divorce and the struggles of single life etc.

“Gok’s Style Secrets” follows on from a string of alike programmes as I previously mentioned, successfully produced and commissioned, and aired on Channel 4. From “Gok’s Fashion Fix” to “One Born Every Minute” and “Trinny and Susanna”, Channel 4’s list of lifestyle programmes is endless, and it has become an established and safe genre which is liked by many. They are often based around simple and relatable ideas or topics (like fashion and romance as “Gok’s Style Secrets” is, which can be easily developed. Audiences watch them to relate to them (personal identification according to the uses and gratifications theory), and they are light hearted and easy to watch. Both are reasons why they have taken off so easily.

“Gok’s Style Secrets” was first commissioned by Channel 4 in 2013, and started its first ever series early on in the year. It was aired post watershed at 9pm every Wednesday night during its first series.

The target audience for Gok’s Style Secrets is perhaps E to C1 according to the classification of employment, as it appeals to students just as much as it does middle class earners. Also, the mainstream and middle/working classes represented in the programme back this point up. The audience can relate to the people in the programme. The importance of fashion in the programme suggests a primarily female audience, but there is likely to be a significant secondary male audience (the partners of the females watching it). This is the case with many media products. Middle class, younger generation, educated group who are interested in fashion and appearances are likely to be watching the show. The show appears post watershed to appeal to its target audience.

Recognition of romantic/self esteem difficulties was what drew audiences to this show, with them recognising themselves within the discourse. Of course, similarities with other life style programmes attracted audiences too. Audiences enjoy watching the sensitivity and friendship Gok Wan offers towards his “clients”, and enjoy witnessing the positive change which occurs between the start and end of the programme.

“Gok’s Style Secrets” is not available on DVD format, but can be watched on online services such as 4OD. This suggests that the institutions behind the programme are connected to the new digital age, and are keen to please their active audiences. They are current, and pushing the show over more than one media platform in order to attract more people. “Gok’s Style Secrets” is a easy to watch life style programme, and over all attracts audiences due to the fact that it is easily relatable. 

Year 12 Homework ~ Fansites

My three film case studies are Bridesmaids, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and I Give It A Year. I have researched into fansites about each of them.

Firstly, here is a screen grab from a Bridesmaids fan site:

 

According to the uses and gratifications theory, people would mainly access this fan pop website for social interaction. It is an inetractive website, allowing users to upload their own videos and pictrues, and leave comment on a film which everyone shares an inetrest in. They interact and communicate through this site. This webiste allows the audience to become much more active and involved in the film, and they have a much more prominant position. According to Maslow's hierachy of needs, this website would be in the very top category as it is not a neccessity for leading a successful and safe life. Information on the website includes photograph, clips, polls about the film, links to external sites and news articles which relate to the film, and the facility to leave comments. Every feature strongly relates to the film.

Below is a screen shot for a Vicky Christina Barcelona fan site,which is my second film case study:

There are significantly less fan sites for Vicky Christina Barcelona than there are for Bridesmaids, most probably because it is a low budget film and is not so mainstream. It does still possess some of the features which the Bridesmaids site did, such as it has pictures and the ability to leave comments. Fans are likely to want to access this type of website for social interaction, and this doesnt provide the oppurtunity as much as the Bridesmaids fan pop one did. People may also access this website for surveillance- it gives the user links to other movies similar to Vicky Christina Barcelona, and so it is the perfect place to gain information about other movies they may like. This relates to audiences being much more active. The feature which enables the audience to leave comments mean that the institution can quickly gage public opinion, and even improve future media products.

There are currently no fan sites for I Give It A Year, as it isnt released until later this month.