Disney Case Study

Case Studies- cross-media convergence and synergy

Disney Marketing 

Cross-media convergence is converging multiple media platforms to promote a product. 

the Avengers Alliance Facebook game developed by the Disney Interactive division uses social media to promote the Avengers film; this is a clear example of cross-media convergence. 

On Instagram, Disney has over 9m followers and uses this as an adverting platform to promote products at a young audience.

Disney is dominating the digital sphere through horizontal integration with the animation industry and through vertical integration with other media industries such as online social networks, TV streaming and the gaming industry.

What are the businesses Disney owns and how Disney uses CMC for things like soundtracks/video games/ TV commericals run by their own TV network or using famous stars to promote the film etc.


Disney has vertically integrated with the television and radio network company called ABC  (American Broadcasting Company) as well as the cable company called ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) with ownership shared between Hearest Communications (20%) and The Walt Disney Company (80%).

Streaming 
By 2018, box office tickets were reduced because of streaming services such as Netflix. Disney planned to introduce a streaming service with original Disney content. Disney+ was launched on November 12, 2019. As of April 2020, there are 50 million users of Disney +. 

Key Disney Acquisitions
1993 Miramex $60m 
1995 Capital Cities $19m (ABC) 
2001 Fox Family $2.9b
2004 The Muppets Studios $78m
2006 Pixar Animation Studios  $7.4b
2009 Marvel Entertainment & Studios $4b
2012 Lucasfilm $4b (Star Wars Franchise) 
2019 Fox $71.3b 

four divisions:
- Film (Walt Disney Studios)
- TV (Disney Media Networks- ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel)
-Theme Parks and Resorts (Disney World, Disney Land) 
-Consumer Products and Interactive Media (Marker Studios, Disney Store, Social Media). 


The top 10 highest-grossing movies in 2019:
1. Avengers Endgame ($858m)
2. The Lion King ($543m)
3. Frozen 2 ($450m)
4. Toy Story 4 ($434m)
5. Captain Marvel ($426m)
6. Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker ($390m)
7. Spiderman: Far from Home ($390m)
8. Aladdin ($355m)
9. Joker ($333m)
10. Jumanji: The Next Level ($235m)

 Walt Disney distributed 7/10 of these movies, two out of ten of these movies were distributed by Sony Pictures 
( SpiderMan: Far From Home & Jumanji: The Next Level) and The Joker was distributed by Warner Bro. Adventure is the most common genre with action (top 1)  and thriller (top 9) alongside it. 

Synergy is 'the way in which media conglomerate work together to promote linked product across different media'. Unlike cross-media convergence, it promotes non-media products. 

These are the three companies Disney owns:  Marvel, 21st Century Fox and Walt Disney Company 

Marvel 

• Marvel Entertainment: TV, film, publishing, finance ( Marvel Character Inc.), publishing ( Marvel Worldwide Inc.- Marvel Press, Marvel Comics & Cover Concepts Inc), consumer goods ( Marvel Toys ) 
• Marvel Studios: film ( Marvel Productions), finance, publishing ( Marvel Music )  

21st Century Fox
- Fox Entertainment Group (film)
- Endemol Shine Group (film) 
- National Geographic Partners (TV & publishing- National Geographic Magazine) 
- Fex Network Group (TV) 
- Fox Star Studios (film) 
- Hulu (digital/ misc ) 
- Star TV (TV) 

Walt Disney Company
- Disney direct-to-customer and international largest asset (digital/misc) 
- Walt Disney Parks, Experience and Consumer Products (property & parks): $20.3b revenue doubles movie revenue of $10b 
- Disney Theatrical Group (theatre)
- Disney- ABC Television Group (tv)
- Disney Channel Worldwide (tv)
- ESPN inc (tv) 
- Walt Disney Studios (film) 
- Disney publishing worldwide (publishing) 
- Disney Music Group- Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Disney Concerts, Disney - - Music Publishing (music/radio) 
- Disney Game and Interactive Experiences (gaming) 
- Sphero (consumer good) 

Global and NZ Trends + iGens

Audience Research 


Global digitisation trends (survey-based data taken in January 2019) 


- 4.4 billion of the population is connected to the internet- this is a 57% penetration 
- 3.5 billion of the population are active social media users-  this is a 45% penetration 

Below are the top 5 social media sites: 
1. Facebook (2.3 million users) 
2.  Youtube (1.9 million users)
3. Whatsapp (1.5 million users) 
4.  FB Messenger  (1.3 million users) 
5. Wechat/ Wbxin (1 million users) 

- the two age-groups that have the largest contingent of social media users are 25 to 34 years & 18 to 24 years. there are more male users by 3% (for the 25-34 age group) and by 5% (for the 18-24 age group) 


NZ digitisation trends (survey-based data taken in January 2019) 
88%   are internet users 
70% are active social media users 
65% are mobile social media users 

top 3 devices used to consume media:
1. Mobile phone 92%
2. Television  91%
3. Laptop or desktop computer 84%

- around 3 hours spent on watching / streaming online TV services

- Watch videos online 94% 
- Stream TV content via the internet 57%

 top 5 social media sites? 
1. Youtube 86% 
2. Facebook 85%
3. Facebook Messenger 69% 
4. Instagram 45% 
5. Pinterest 31% 

iGens 

Questions;
 'i-gens' :  born 1993- 2005. considered to be last generation of cinema audiences. 

iGens are the first generation to have access to iPhones, iPads, iPods etc. which provides digital platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter keeping them digitally connected from early in the morning until late at night. 

Film influences iGen's opinions and beliefs. Social, environmental and political issues are presented and discussed. 

Social media allows people to give opinions about movies influencing whether people should watch a movie or not. If the influencer is critical of the movie trailer this can have a negative impact on the choice. 

- marketing movie using social media reaches a bigger platform and engages with iGeneration. 

Emotional motivations driving i-gens to watch movies at the cinemas: 

- Chilled (relaxing without interruptions) 

- Intimate (through social connection & shared experiences) 

- Hyped (heightened emotions) 

- In the know (by watching the latest movie people become the leading social media opinion) 

- Creative (by following creative artists involved in the filmmaking) 

- Socially conscious (by being curious about the issues in the film and using it as a topic of discussion) 

The cinema provides an immersive experience including the five senses fulfilling the core emotional motivations. 

- iGens view as a social occasion with family and friends and new people.

- By sharing the same experience with others it provides a sense of community

- latest technology in image and sound that cannot be accessed at home

Movies available online legally and illegally is the reasons why iGens watch movies at home:

- no screen schedules

- no standing around queuing for tickets and food at home

- pause feature to discuss scene with friends or take breaks

- wider choice of food at home at a lower cost. 

Negative aspects about the cinema experience:

- administration- has to check screening schedules and plan a suitable time is inflexible & inconvenient  

- limited choice

- cost of ticket is expensive  

how to market movies to iGens: 

- use social media to set up a fan page to regularly post interesting movie content creating hype, have specific movie hashtag to grow audience knowledge & release soundtrack feat. famous singers 

iGens expectation of the cinema experience: 

- provide apps for administration to make a booking for tickets and ordering food & drinks more convenient 

- provide 'hang out' space to socialise with friends before and after screening 

- i-gens expect cinemas evolve using the latest technologies such as surround sound and virtual reality (VR)

-  an expectation was the cinema being well-designed with an idea of comfortable fully reclining seats to view the movie 

- the expectation to view other forms of entertainment such as live sport, e-sport and binge-watch an entire TV series with high production values at cinemas. The i-gen made the interest in the idea of a drive-in-cinema or outdoor cinemas known. 

- a post-film activity where movie ratings , comments and reviews are made (off and online) and be directed to similar movies. 

Media Consumption Survey

Media Consumption Research ( TV CHANNELS, DIFFERENT MEDIA, SERVICES)

Audience Trends Research 

Give examples and statistics to back up your answer. 

How are the audience trends of media consumption being affected by the changing technology in society? 

NZ On Air Report (2014-2018)  OVERALL TV CHANNELS TREND 

- FOUR, TVNZ kidzone and The Zone declines as a response to launch of Netflix, Lightbox, Neon, NZ On Screen 

- Top channels:

1. linear TV

2. TVNZ1 

- Top sites:

1. Youtube 

2. Facebook 

nzherald TRENDS OF DIFFERENT MEDIA 

- downward trend of broadcast  TV 83% and Radio 67% based on survey data by NZ on Air 

- in contrast, trend for online platform such as online video viewing, SVOD viewing and pay-per-view services increased by 15% & 11%

- Netflix used more than major free-to-air channels such as Three and TVNZD - excluding  TVNZ1 which viewing had increased by 3%

Newspaper articles 

Flicks.co.nz VIDEO-ON-DEMAND SERVICES | PAY-PER-VIEW SERVICES 

-Video-on-demand services (SVOD)  include Neon, Netflix, Quickflix and Lightbox

-Pay-per-view services (PPVS)  include Google Play, iTunes, NZ Film on Demand, Vimeo on Demand, Youtube Red. Video Ezy on Demand was unsuccessful.

thebigq.org NETFLIX 

-2018, 1.2m netflix subscriber in nz while 125m worldwide netflix subscriber 

-USA cinema attendance dropped to lowest level since 1995. people wondered if, 'netflix was killing the cinema' 

How would this information affect marketing,  distribution and exhibition for a film you were making? 

thebigq.org

- streaming services changes how film is produced and distributed.  For instance, the film's economic value  is less compared the film where it was bought by the cinemas and released. 

- streaming services provide the platform for an independent filmmaker to gain more attention. Indie films respond to social changes by including topics such as issues of diversity, issues of power and corruption which are very topical

Audience and Institutions Case Studies

Case Studies 

1. A Hollywood Blockbuster

Jurassic World (2015)

Genre: Adventure/Sci-Fi

Director: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Holland, Ty Simpkins, Judy Greer
Budget: $150million USD 


Reception 
Opening weekend Box Office numbers
It was the third-highest-grossing film in both the US and Canada and the world. In grossed $625.3 million in the United States and Canada and in total $1.67 billion. It was the first film to cover over $500 million in a weekend. 

Review: 

On the website Rotten Tomatoes, Jurassic World had a score of 71% based on 340 reviews, with an average rating of 6.65/10. The critical consensus of the site reads, "Jurassic World can't match the original for sheer inventiveness and impact, but it works in its own right as an entertaining-- and visually dazzling--popcorn thriller." Toddy MaCarthy writing for The Hollywood Reporter wrote that despite its shortcoming it would appealing to audience everywhere he praised the CGI and score. 

Marketing Strategies 
synergy: 

- In June 2014 film stills were released

- In July 2014 500 copies of the Jurassic World posters were released

- In April 2015, 3 new posters released leading to the premiere of the final trailer on the internet

- Lego, Hasbro toy based on the film 

cross-media convergence: 

- In November 2014 two marketing websites went viral: 1. fictional Jurassic World theme park,   2. fictional Masarani Global Cooperation- created by fans Jack Anthony Ewins & Timothy Glover. In April 2011, Universal hired to design the official Masrani website.  It included information absent from the movie. 

- In April 2015, movie clip was released but was considered a marketing mistake

- 2015, two video games were released called Lego Jurassic World & Jurassic World: the game 

-has an account profile with 9m followers on Facebook and 764k followers on Instagram. 

Piracy 

- 2015 4th top pirated movie with 37million illegal downloading 

Distribution 

Distributor- Universal Picture 

Distributor process- 

Release Details: ' see exhibition' 

Homemedia:
On October 20,2015 Jurassic World was released on DVD, Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray 3D. It was the highest-selling home entertainment live-action film since upon the first week of release it sold nearly three million DVD and Blu-ray units. In total Jurassic World collected $82.6 million in its first week across all its digital and physical formats. The Jurassic Park 4K UHD Blu-Ray collection which was released on May 22, 2018, included Jurassic World. It is now available through the online video-sharing platform Youtube and the website Google Play Movies & TV. 

2. A NZ film

Hunt for the WIlderpeople (2016)

Genre: Adventure/Comedy 

Director: Taika Waititi
Cast: Julian Dennison,  Sam Neill, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House 
Budget: $US 2.5 million 

Reception 
Opening weekend Box Office numbers 

It was the highest-grossing film in the opening weekend for a New Zealand film of $1,263,000. The international gross of the film in October 2016 was $10,935,319 in Australia, £507, 380 in UK and US $5,137,201 in North America.  It has become the highest-grossing New Zealand film which made over $12 million in NZD. 


Reviews 

On Rotten Tomatoes, Hunt for the Wilderpeople had an average rating of  7.9/10 based on 169 reviews giving it an approval rating of 97%.  On the website Metacritic, Hamish Popplestone wrote: "Though both flawed, Neill's and Dennison's characters are so, so charming on-screen and are fully apt at weaving through the dramatic, comedic, and sad points of the script. 


Marketing Strategies 
- Air New Zealand, Trade Me, the Department of Conversationism, Tourism NZ, NZ Defence Force support the campaign 

cross-media convergence: 
- stimulcast of gala premiere helps to create media awareness
- social campaign to win the chance of meeting the leading actor by tweeting #nzbush 

- The twitter page now has 6,258 followers and there are ongoing tweets to help keep the fanbase alive. 

Piracy
N/A

Distribution 

distributor- Piki Films, The Orchard & Madman Entertainment 

distributor process- 

Release details:
The film premiered on 22 January 2016 at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was released in cinemas in New Zealand on 31 March 2016. 


On 25 October 2016, the film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in America by Sony Picture Home Entertainment. Majestical Picture Ltd. released the soundtrack by Moniker on 8 April 2016. It is now available through the online video-sharing platform Youtube and the website Google Play Movies & TV. 

3. An independent/ Arthouse film

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Genre: Romance/Drama

Director: Stephen Chbosky 
Cast: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Budget: 13 Million USD


Reception 
Opening weekend Box Office numbers 

The opening weekend made $228,359, averaging $57,089 per theatre.  In North America, the film earned $17,742,948 and $15,641,179 in other countries, in total worldwide it made $33,384,127.


Reviews 

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film had an average rating of 7.44/10 based on 162 reviews giving it an approval rating of 86%. The critical consensus of the site reads, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartfelt and sincere adaption that's bolstered by strong lead performances." The film received numerous accolades including the Independent Spirit Award, the Hollywood Film Festival Award and the Teen Choice awards. 



Marketing Strategies 
synergy:
- Chbosky book by the same name became a New York Times Best Seller selling more than 1.5m copies: attracted longtime fans of the book to the movie and vice versa

cross-media convergence:
- "...use the movie to market the movie," marketing president of Summit, Nancy Kirkpatrick said. 

Piracy
N/A

Distribution 

distributor- Summit entertainment 

distributor process- 

when & where film released- September 21, 2012, in 4 theatres in selected USA cities; October 12,2012 nationwide release; September 23, 2012 UK premiere at Cambridge Film Festival 

Originally the film received an R rating for "teen drug and alcohol use, and some sexual references," however, when the filmmaker appealed the MPAA changed rating to PG-13 for "mature thematic material, drug, alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fight-all involving teens."


It is now available through the online video-sharing platform Youtube, the website Google Play Movies & TV and the streaming and production company Netflix. 

4. A film that didn't perform as well as expected

The Interview (2014) 

Genre: Comedy/Action 

Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg  
Cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park  
Budget: 44 million US


Reception 
Opening weekend Box Office numbers 

The opening weekend box office was $1.8 million this was an impressive launch considering it playing in a limited number of cinemas. The Interview earned over $15million within four days of its online release and became the highest-grossing online release of Sony Pictures'. In 2014, it was the top-selling Youtube and Google Play film. By January 2015, through online rentals and sales, the film earned more than $40 million. Millions of dollars on marketing were saved by video-on-demand sales. According to another source, it grossed $11.3 million ($6.1mUS and $5.2m worldwide) against its high budget of $44m. 

Reviews 

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film had an average rating of 5.6/10 based on 141 reviews giving it an approval rating of 51%. The critical consensus of the site reads, "Unfortunately overshadowed by controversy and under-screened as a result), The Interview's screenplay offers middling laughs bolstered by its two likeable leads."

The hacks of the Sony Pictures Entertainment shows leaks of emails between Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton and RAND Corporation defence analyst Bruce Bennett. Bennett expressed his view that the graphic Jong-un death scene in The Interview was "the only resolution I can see to the North Korean nuclear and other threats for the North Korean government to eventually go away." 


Marketing Strategies
- Sony's decision to withhold the movie's release sparked a debate which caused it to become the media's focus
- it became a popular film despite the negative review (because of its conversational political portrayal of North Korea including the death of their political leader). Some saw this movie not as a joke but as a declaration of war.  


Piracy 
- in one day the movie was illegally downloaded 904,237 times worldwide according to Excipio, a pirating tracking firm

Distribution 

distributor- Sony Pictures Releasing 

distribution process- 

when & where film released- 

Due to changes in post-production, Sony delayed the movie's initial theatrical release from October 10 to December 25, 2014.  The movie plot was about assassinating a real-life world leader which caused controversy. The movie had a limited release across 331 independent theatres in the United States. Australia and New Zealand were the only countries in the Asia-Pacific region to get the movie.  Japan and Russia did not get the movie.

The premiere that was supposed to be held in New York City on December 17 was cancelled by Sony. Major theatres chains such as Regal, Southern Theatres, AMC, Cineplex and Cinemark also delayed or cancelled the film screenings. The theatres came under pressure from the shopping malls- they feared an event of an attack because of the commercial blackmail by the hacker Guardians of Peace. 

Platform: 
Sony's legal counsel David Boies told NBC's Meet the Presson that Sony planned a limited release of the movie at American independent and arthouse cinemas. On December 24,2014, The Interview was released in the United States for rental of purchase through the streaming services Youtube, Google Play and Xbox Video.  The file-sharing website SeeTheInterview.com had a security hole and so people were able to illegally download the movie- ToorentFreak estimated at least the film had been download $1.5 million times in two days. 

On December 28, 2014,  the film was released on iTunes. On January 24, 2015, the film became available for streaming on Netflix. 


Homemedia On February 2015, the film was available on Blu-ray Disc and DVD and it included behind-the-scenes featurettes, a blooper reel, 90minutes of deleted scenes, feature commentary with directors Rogen and Goldberg, and a special episode featuring Rogen and Franco of Naked and Afraid this package was called the "Freedom Edition". By July 2015, the film sales in the United States was over $6.7 million.