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” occurs when parts of a whole work together to produce something greater than the individual parts could produce alone. “Synergy” in the media is often used to sell products across various types of media. A common example of this is when a company sells products it owns on a television show that it also owns. When I think of “synergy” I often find myself thinking about the representation of it in my favorite television show, 30 Rock. In the fictional world of 30 Rock, the television show TGS is owned by GE, until they are later sold to a cable company called Kabletown. In the real world, 30 Rock was on NBC, which was of course once partly owned by GE and later owned by Comcast. The show constantly referenced “synergy” and often poked fun at both the real and fictional GE. On the show, products that GE makes such as microwaves and ovens are lampooned and made fun of on the fictional TGS. Liz Lemon (the head writer for TGS) is forced by her boss to reference these products on her show in order to help promote products for the company that owns her show. In this case, the fictional GE is taking advantage of “synergy” by selling their product on a fictional television show. The real GE was also taking advantage of “synergy” because this was a real product that was being sold on a real television show. To blur the lines even further, advertisements for GE often appeared on commercials during 30 Rock. While 30 Rock poked fun at synergy, it was selling the concept to viewers at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSynergy is achieved when the collective actions of individual branches of a conglomerate are focused toward promoting or achieving a common message or goal. It is a business model that allows a conglomerate to have its message or product spread across the consumer market quickly, efficiently, and from many outlets.
ReplyDeleteThe Walt Disney Company, as a whole, has based its business on promoting synergy through its subsidiaries. Disney often employs its subordinate companies to promote its media ventures across many media platforms. This is exemplified through the extensive merchandising and advertising across many of its smaller companies. For example, Once Upon a Time is a TV show aired on ABC. ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company, which also owns Marvel Entertainment. Marvel Entertainment’s publishing company produced a graphic novel adaptation of Once Upon a Time. In addition, Hyperion Books (also owned by Disney) published a novel based on stories from the series’ first season. Intrada Records has sold a soundtrack that is co-branded with Walt Disney Records. Once Upon a Time trading cards have been made through Cryptozoic Entertainment. Numerous other products have been made available for purchase through the ABC online store. In this way, the conglomerate is able to profit from multiple sources of merchandising.
Synergy is the interaction of multiple elements in a system to produce an effect different from or greater than the sum of their individual effects. Synergy is an intricate part of media especially new media because it take work from so many different people in order to produce a project. Before a movie, TV show, or even a commercial is released it is handled by so many different people in order for it to be. For instance in order to make a movie it's not a simple get a director and actors. There has to be producers food crews tech crews people to market and countless other third parties that are required to do something before the product can be considered finished.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Hilmes, synergy is “the working together of two or more components so that they produce an effect greater than either could alone” (285). Synergy can be seen everyday in our contemporary media environment and is reflected in how media corporations are run. For example, NBC Universal is a subsidiary of GE. NBC Universal then has a large amount of subsidiaries itself including a sizable amount of cable television stations, such as Syfy, Chiller, G4, USA Network, Bravo, Oxygen, CNBC, MSNBC, and E! among others. Personally, my discovery and revelation that they were all owned by the same parent company came from my viewing of the Olympics. NBC Universal’s ownership of the rights to air the Olympics allows them to capitalize on public interest in this event through simultaneously broadcasting a large portion of the events on its many different networks. The airing of the Olympics is beneficial for NBC Universal and the smaller cable channels that make it up as it allows them to fully capitalize on their ownership and gives the smaller networks programming of interest to the public. The access to such a large even would never be available to them without this corporate ownership. Sometimes this corporate ownership can be confusing, so to describe it with even more disorder I’ll let Jack Donaghy explain NBC’s ownership in the fictional world of 30 Rock:
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Synergy, as described by Holt in the essay “Vertical Vision”, is a business practice that “requires the vast media resources of entertainment conglomerates to feed off themselves”(12). This involves a vertical integration that allows different sectors of a conglomerate to work together to utilize resources across different media in a more efficient manner than would otherwise be possible. Holt gives the example of the consolidation of Disney and ABC, where a Disney executive explained that, “we like to control our own destiny, and we concluded that the only way not to be at the mercy of other institutions…was to ensure our own access”(20). Synergy gives companies the power to work with others to amplify their control over certain aspects of the media. One benefit of synergy is that when related companies combine their resources, a sort of cross-promotion can be achieved. One product can be advertised in conjunction with another, which results in a greater outcome than either company could achieve on its own. For example, many children’s programs have corresponding toys that are promoted with it. “Sesame Street” is a good example of this. In addition to the popular show, there are also toys such as “Tickle Me Elmo” and storybooks that include the characters from the show. The relationship between the producers of these products allow for them to be promoted across different types of media, thus benefiting the conglomerate as a whole.
ReplyDeleteIn business, synergy means that “Teamwork will produce an overall better result than if each person within the group were working toward the same goal individually.” More specifically, it means that a conglomerate integrates all the aspects of its subsidiaries in order to create optimal exposure, and optimal financial gain. Often times, in entertainment this means that companies will own all aspects of distribution, production, and marketing, etc. This also leads to a large deal of product placement in television shows.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were discussing the concept of synergy in class, my mind immediately went to the television show 30 Rock. To expand on what Elizabeth said, 30 Rock repeatedly mocks the concepts of synergy and product placement, as well as big corporate executives’ enthusiasm for them in the show often. Here is a clip in which Tina Fey attempts to use the corporate desire for synergy to manipulate Alec Baldwin’s character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aocZo3oeNxw
Another scene that came to mind during class was this scene from In Good Company, in which Topher Grace’s character attempts to reinvigorate the employees of a struggling company he’s recently been placed in command of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFqbGbU8f8o
In this scene, Topher Grace’s character introduces the concept of synergy to his employees, claiming that their sister companies will have to go along with the plans, or else the parent company will be unhappy.
In media, synergy is the promotion or sale of a product through the various subsidiaries of a media conglomerate. It is seen as cooperation between companies who are just smaller pieces of a much larger company. So what is good for the pieces is good for the whole and vice versa. Frequently, the promotion of products across many platforms is advantageous for all involved. But that is not always the case.
ReplyDeleteThe 30 Rock reference above is a great example. And while it is meant to poke fun at the corporate structure, it shows some problems that arise. Sometimes it doesn’t always make sense to have these products integrated in the show (like making a couple nonchalantly mention how happy they are with their new GE washer/dryer set). Or there may be some resistance to having an outside influence. In 30 Rock, Tina Fey was concerned about the direction of her show if they were to sell out. Clearly there are both pros and cons to synergy. There are other examples in media as well.
One example I found had to do with the first Harry Potter movie. Warner Brothers had secured the contract to the produce the film. Before its release, Time Warner and AOL had recently merged and used this merger to promote the film heavily. They would show advertisements on HBO, the WB, and channels part of the Turner Broadcasting System (namely CNN, TBS, TNT, etc) which were subsidiaries of Time Warner at the time. Advertisements were also shown on the AOL homepage. Also found on AOL were merchandise websites, movie times, and ticket sales. Articles and reviews about the film were also being printed in newspapers and magazines owned by Time Warner. It wasn't always due to promotion of the film either. Even the soundtrack of the movie was produced and sold through Atlantic records which is part of Warner Music.
It was a very comprehensive use of synergy. Time Warner promoted the film across many forms of media and did their best to keep everything to do with Harry Potter within their subsidiaries.
Synergy is where a conglomerate uses all of its individual arms in service of each other. If "Conglomerate X" had both a television network and a cleaning supplies company, it would advertise their cleaning supplies on their network. Or, more commonly, if Conglomerate X owned a toy manufacturer, they would produce a show that featured the toys they made. Synergy is only possible when multiple companies are owned by a single conglomerate. No company would work toward another company's profit margins unless their profit margins go to the same people. In terms of media, the role is clear. The advertising potential of a TV Network is obvious, but has two paths. A Network can either offer free space in commercial time to brands owned by a parent company. Alternatively, a content producer can offer advertising space within a show it produces. Today, the Hub Network exists with synergy as its basic model on both levels. The Hub Network is owned by Hasbro, a toy manufacturer. All of its original content such as My Little Pony and Transformers advertise products of the same name. And, since it is a network aimed at children, all of its toy commercials are for toys it produces.
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