Disney and Synergy

Lesson Objective: To evaluate Disney’s use of synergy in marketing

and distribution

Synergy?

What is Synergy?

Synergy: Interconnected marketing and distribution of media products across a range of platforms and sectors

Tron Legacy• Tron soundtrack by Daft

Punk released on Hollywood Records.• Tronorail ride at Walt Disney

World Florida.• Disneyland Resort Calfornia,

ElecTRONica dance parties, including sneak peak of the film in 3D.

How was synergy used to promote Toy Story 3?

Synergy and ‘Toy Story 3’• Trailers – ‘Up’.• Digital 3D re-release of ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Toy Story2’ – teaser

trailers for ‘Toy Story 3’.• Blu Ray/DVD combo release of the films included ‘The Making

of Toy Story 3’ featurette.• Disney Interactive Studios released ‘Toy Story 3: The Video

Game’ prior to the release of the film.• ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ featured a performance from

the film.• Sneak peeks of the film shown on the Disney Channel.• Prior to the release the Disney Channel held a ‘Toy Story’ day,

showing the first two films and sneak peeks of the third one.

How important is synergy to the promotion of Disney products?

• As former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner put it, “The Disney Stores promote the consumer products which promote the [theme] parks which promote the television shows. The television shows promote the company.”

• This can also be described as constant media synergy, wherein everything within a franchise promotes everything else.

Discussion Question- is synergy good or bad for film audiences? -Where do you stand…?

Synergy means information about a film can reach a large amount of people

In attracting large audiences, synergy brings money into the film industry to be invested in

more films

Audiences can enjoy finding out about the film in

different, exciting ways

Synergy wastes huge amounts of money that

could be spent on the film itself

Small independent film companies struggle to

market their films without such big marketing budgets

Audiences are ‘bombarded’ with mass advertising, which

has the ‘direct effect’ of influencing them to see films that might be of poor quality

Homework – Due Tuesday

Title: Is Synergy good or bad for film audiences?

• Consider both sides of the argument• Refer closely to The Walt Disney Company and

Toy Story 3