Synergetic Practices (Extended Deadline--Due before Section 11/20)
What is synergy? How does it operate within a contemporary media environment primarily run by large conglomorates? Give one example of synergy (you can use an example from the present if you wish).
“Synergy” is the interaction of two or more companies or organizations that produce a product, establishment, or agent that has a greater effect on society than that of the separate members of the creation. In other words, synergy is a strategic method of teamwork that allows companies to gain revenue and increase business by joining together. Synergy operates within a contemporary media environment by combining mediums and expanding them to reach a greater and global audience. I believe that synergy is an amazing tactic in the media industry and I believe that it has no throwbacks within the system.
ReplyDeleteThere are many examples of synergy and how successful that process can be. By far, the one that I am most familiar with is Disney/Pixar. Both companies were successful with their distribution of theme parks and childhood movies, but they never reached unlimited heights until they joined together. Many of us are familiar with both companies and once they were joined by synergy, the “new” company saw a huge increase in sales and distribution of products. For examples, their movies have been extraordinary popular and always bring in tons of money. When Toy Story 3 was released in theaters in 2010, the movie grossed at 1,063.2 million dollars (alexyllee.wordpress.com) Within this one production, Disney/Pixar became one of the best examples of synergy cooperation. I was quite surprised by these findings and I believe that future companies should also join in on this outstanding media conversion process.
I wonder if Pixar can actually be considered under the synergy of the Disney corporation. Pixar began as a subsection of Lucas film under Steve Jobs, therefore receiving cofunding from Apple. Would Pixar not then be an example of synergy for Lucas Films? Or even of Apple once it spun out on it's own? Though if you can make this argument, you can also argue for Pixar under Disney.
DeleteI would argue that Pixar, given its origin, is an example of synergy under Lucas Film. Pixar began as the computer division of Lucas Film. Thus it was created to conquer another part of the filmmaking experience for Lucas Film. Given that their sum was greater than their parts, I feel that the collaboration between Pixar and Lucas Film is moreso an example of synergy, instead of Disney using its buying power to gobble up profitable enterprises. Though maybe that is Disney's synergic prowess at work.
I think that the disney/pixar example is a great one, because the use of theme parks is a wonderful way to draw in viewers and consumers. These parks are visited by everyone who is interested in rides, and visiting another world. The parks are genius because they are not only amusement parks with rides but also an escape to different places, such as epcot which allows you to enter other ethnic countries of the world. This atmosphere primes positive thoughts and in the long run aids to disney/pixar products and films. Another exceptionally good example of disney's synergy is the way they craft their theme parks on the movies they make. This brings the films animation to life and allows people to experience it first hand, a truly magical experience. All of these benefits are the result of synergy which can ultimately transform a company into a conglomerate. Selling multiple products will always reign over selling one.
ReplyDeleteSynergy is a key strategy in our world today in social interactions, business methods and media organization. Synergy is the combination of two or more companies or institutions to produce a product that is superior to the output of a single member. This interaction allows both parties to produce congruent material that is better or more efficient than the production of this product alone.
ReplyDeleteTed Turner of Turner Broadcasting saw synergy as the only way into the media industry. After garnering the rights of Hollywood’s most popular movies, such as Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and Citizen Kane to name a few, Turner knew he needed to take advantage of these possessions. Stemming from the success of the movie syndications, Turner Broadcasting soon launched itself into a significant media conglomerate. Synergy was inevitable and in 1996, Turner Communications merged with Time Warner, bringing together the properties of Warner Brothers film and TV production, HBO, CNN, TBS, TNT, the WB Network and the Atlanta Braves and Hawks and Time Warner Cable. This arrangement brought about huge changes in the television industry and offered a larger magnitude and range of assets and potential for both companies. So while this merger was less than half the price of the Disney/ ABC merger, I believe it was much more effective and influential for both conglomerates due to the diversity of the programming and potential for growth.
Synergy occurs when corporations interact congruently with one other to achieve financial benefit from merging. The combined corporate body aims to generate more revenue than other stand-alone companies would be able to. Promotions and sales of a product can be used throughout various outlets within the media, and they could potentially reach even more possible buyers. One of the best examples of synergy within the media is the Disney Corporation, who uses theme parks, characters, toys, games, and many other things to sell their products to a wide variety of people. The movies that Disney produces are typically transformed into rides at Disneyland depending on the popularity in order to attract fans and make more money. New rides are unveiled every couple of years to keep bringing in new attendants and keep their profits up against any possible competitors. They add new characters to walk around in the park to actually interact with fans and hopefully give them a great experience in order to get them to come back later on. The kids love the toys that are sold of every character and the various games that can be played based off of each film. Disney uses every media outlet that it can to sell their product and name.
ReplyDeleteSynergy is how a company integrates and structures itself to control multiple aspects of its principal industry in a form of vertical integration. It is most often observed and talked about when discussing corporate mergers that require both companies to feel like they have something to gain from the prospect of merging together. We have talked about a lot of famous television mergers that produced synergy and other posts mentioned Disney and Pixar and the TBS example that are phenomenal ones in the TV industry, I, however, would like to point out synergy in a different area: the internet. Specifically Google merging with almost everything in sight that is popular on the internet. Google owns and produces all kinds of applications for mail, online storage, map directions, calendar, an often mocked social media site, and more (oh and probably THE most popular search engine on the web). On top of what Google has made by themselves for the internet, the company also buys out and merges with all kinds of internet excursions. I’m sure we’ve all recently been annoyed by changes to YouTube? Yeah beneath all the familiar viral videos is Google yet again. I can think of almost no better example from the 21st Century than this mega-company that produces everything from software to hardware (Google Glass, Google Nexus devices, etc.) and literally has hands in almost every type of technology produced in the world.
ReplyDeleteI am very much in agreement with you here, Kevin. Google's dominance in the social and internet world is unfounded anywhere else, in my opinion. Google even branches out to cell phone companies, and I believe has a deal with Apple currently that even helps them dominate the mobile world. A humorous example of failed synergy is how Facebook recently tried to purchase Snapchat, but Snapchat refused. While overall I find synergy to sometimes be annoying, especially when powerhouses like Google take over everything on the internet and leaves little room for variety and preferences, I do think synergy can sometimes be a good thing. For example, the Disney/ABC deal that currently exists has brought a lot of amazing television to ABC, things that wouldn't come to fruition without this deal. Recent television special "Toy Story of Horror" aired on ABC with quite a bit of popularity, which was a television special with the Toy Story characters (products of another example of synergy, Disney/Pixar). Disney's recent purchase of all things Marvel has lead to the new show "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." which, while it isn't the most popular show ever, wouldn't exist without the synergy. I think it's cool that we're able to branch out and develop brands that normally wouldn't get developed.
DeleteSynergy is when multiple companies, institutions, studios, corporations, etc. work together to create a product that is far better than what would have been achieved in a singular effort. Many modern conglomerates are headed by one large umbrella company and served by smaller distributors or studios. This is also not just found in the physical collaboration, but also found among the major five entertainment agencies. These agencies represent clients who have worked for several different studios. When the agencies have a new film or show to work on, they source from their own client list first before going to other agencies. They are pulling together the best of the business regardless of their affiliation in order to create the best product possible, which sometimes means pulling off of other agencies client lists.
ReplyDeleteThis is also found in studio collaboration. Many television shows air on one network while they are in distribution, but for re-runs are shown on other channels. Each studio can’t possibly have enough studio space to film each of their shows. For example, Pretty Little Liars, a show that is distributed by ABC Family, an affiliate channel of ABC Networks, does not film at an ABC studio. They are in fact, distributed by Alloy Entertainment, the book to television division of Warner Brothers. The show films on the WB lot, but does not air on The CW, the official Warner Brothers network. This synergy allows the networks to be as efficient as possible to put out the best product.
As Hilmes describes it, synergy refers to various components working together to produce something that neither could do alone—working more efficiently together, or actually creating something larger or more powerful than the two alone. Synergy was a huge movement or theme of the 1980s and 90s as networks were bought and sold, ultimately melding them with huge media conglomerates. For example, in 1996 Disney purchased ABC, allowing for channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, A&E, and Lifetime, along with of course the Disney Channel and ABC to all be owned by the same conglomerate, making cross promotions and lower rates for syndicating certain programs possible. Say a program originally aired on ABC was being sold for syndication on another channel—normally the show would be sold for a very high price (depending on its popularity, star power, etc.). But many executives during the time would sell the show at a discounted rate to channels within the conglomerate, making competition with other conglomerates almost nonexistent and compiling network and channel power into one main company.
ReplyDeleteKeeping with Disney, a concrete example of synergy could be the High School Musical franchise. The films are often shown on TV, which in turn promotes DVD and CD sales, which in turn promotes the sale of assorted merchandise, which is sold at a Disney store, etc. One thing leads to another, and gives more strength or popularity to an otherwise average product because of the brand power behind it.
Synergy was defined in lecture as “the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects”. It was described by Hilmes as the “working together of various componenets so that they produce an effect that neither could do alone”. Essentially, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A current, and extremely successful, example can be found at Marvel. They still publish monthly comic books, the medium in which these characters were created, but the brunt of their business is now found through the film industry. Marvel has brought “comic-style” storytelling to film and found unprecedented success. By introducing each character of The Avengers in a separate film, where each film doesn’t need to be seen to enjoy The Avengers, they have now taken things a step further. Now that the public has been persuaded, the individual character films all function as sequels to each other (Iron Man 3 was followed by Thor 2 which will be followed by Captain America 2). They are also using this newly important sequential model to introduce new properties that would are a much bigger gamble commercially (like the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy) due to their strange subject matter. Marvel also recently made the jump to TV, and most interestingly, announced an ambitious slate of Netflix-bound series that will function in the same vein as their Avengers movies (each character will have their own season of a self-centered series, before all converging for a group miniseries). Marvel has successfully merged the industries of print, film, television and the internet, and stunningly, fans are rabid for more. None of this feels like a corporate money grab, which to some degree it is, but the quality of the storytelling always rises above this notion (see rival company DC for an example of attempting all of this and failing). Marvel also has a stronghold on other industries, since their characters can be featured on numerous products (toys, video games, backpacks, etc).
ReplyDeleteLike Tyler, the first name that came to mind when thinking about synergy was Marvel. Though only acquired by Disney in 2009, Marvel has wasted no time in reaching every corner of entertainment starting in comic books and merchandise but branching out into all facets of filmed entertainment. In addition to the outlets mentioned above, Marvel also has a deal with Universal Studios theme park in which fans can interact with the superhero world, and be inspired to buy more products and see more movies. What’s most interesting (and terrifying) to me is the cyclical nature of synergetic consumerism: each branch inspires consumption in another and so on.
DeleteA few weeks ago, Variety published an article about the new exclusive Netflix series mentioned above, and can be found here:
http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/netflix-orders-four-marvel-live-action-series-1200804887/
I feel that this exclusive deal with Netflix is a perfect demonstration of the way branding is effectively incorporated into this model. Netflix is able to utilize the Marvel Universe brand with their new “Netlix Original” production model with high hopes based on the brand’s past and projected success. This shows that synergy can increase commercial gains not only within the network of companies owned and operated by Disney or Marvel, for example, but also for other unrelated companies like Netflix.
Synergy is when two or more companies work together to produce products that stem from the same creation. This would then produce a larger effect that neither company could do alone. By working together, companies would be able to bring in more success and money. Synergy operates within a contemporary media environment by combining products and expanding them worldwide. An example of synergy from lecture is the cartoon show, Transformers. In addition to the television show, toys were also built after the show. This raked in a lot more money for the companies. So for instance, if a child were to be at a toy store and saw a transformers action figure, he or she would not only want to buy it but also would want to watch the television show. This also worked vice versa. Another example of synergy is the Hasbro toy, GI Joe. At first, it was simply just an action figure set. It then soon branched out to television and film. The results were similar to the companies that worked with transformers: the companies that worked with GI Joe made millions through synergy. This just shows that synergy does in fact bring success.
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ReplyDeleteSynergy is, in broader terms, the “cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects (Apple Dictionary). However, synergy is a very important and effective method in the corporate world. When conglomerates decide to “combine their powers,” synergy occurs. In instances of media synergy, companies use all of their subsidiaries, however relevant to the “product,” to promote. For example, NBC Universal owns networks such as Bravo, USA, G4 (which might be dead now, but let’s ignore that), and of course, NBC. These channels serve different purposes and cater to very different demographics, but because NBC controls all of them, they can harness the power and attention of these demographics to cross-promote, say, a movie that Universal Pictures is soon to release. Because the company is advertising itself on channels it already owns, they don’t have to pay for advertising space because it automatically exists. The desired effect would be that advertising on Bravo, USA, G4, and NBC drew in viewers—Real Housewives lovers, gamers, families, and whoever watches USA—to go see the movie NBC Universal is promoting. They were able to bypass advertising costs because they were simply promoting themselves.
Synergy is a common method used by many corporations in order to increase monetary gains as well as exposure to the public. This was done by a conglomerate or multiple companies interacting to make a stronger product than what would have been created by a single company or partner. Contemporary media conglomerates own a multitude of channels either by mergers or purchasing studios; these companies also use different mediums such as the internet and television to cross promote their products. Corporations often produce consumer items that are based on their television productions. For example many Saturday morning cartoons have various toys made for them, this not only increases revenue generated by the cartoons name but also enables the cartoon to gain recognition through individuals who see the toys in their lives. Another example of synergy would be between movie or television productions and video games. For example with the popularity of HBO’s Game of Thrones a video game was quickly produced for the market, with its producers knowing that it would gain sales solely based on it being related to the hit show.
ReplyDeleteSynergy is the concept of two companies, organizations, corporations, etc. that work together and create a product that is much better than what it would have been if it had been done separately. This combined effort between groups is the idea of conglomerate companies, or when they come together and work together. Because conglomerate companies can become quite large and powerful, this strategy of combining intelligence, abilities and resources has made it so that many conglomerate companies have the most authority over the contemporary media industry by way of business, revenue, and awareness.
ReplyDeleteA relevant example of synergy would be the fact that NBC is now owned by the Comcast company. NBC, already being a conglomerate company with Universal Studios, Vivendi Universal Entertainment and General Electric, has a lot of power and control and influence over the media industry. Now that Comcast has bought this conglomerate and added itself to the existing power trip, the influence and control over the media industry is that much more. This integration has added more television channels and property under the control of NBC, which will ultimately make NBC that much more powerful and common, especially since Comcast brings other media formats to the table, like Internet and telephone lines. The broad control over multiple elements in the media industry will give this conglomerate consistent ways to stay on top of the media industry.