Sony is one of the biggest, multinational companies in the world. It specialises in many different topics, such as, electronics, games, entertainment, financial services. The company originally started off as a company that developed electronic broadcasting and recording equipment to then going onto making the software that could be used to play or record on, which maximised profits. Sony then used vertical integration to increase wealth and other products they need, They combined with Columbia pictures and TriStar pictures in 1998. They then went onto backing smaller films through its companies so as destination films. They then combined with a company called ericsson, this was to develop mobile phones and then link them with their own equipment etc, which brought in even more profits and made the company even bigger. Most recently they combined with AMC to come to an agreement that their projectors would be installed in all the companies screens by 2012, which makes them a lot more money and widens the growth again.
Use of convergence was used widely for the promotion of spider-man, this was all down to the high funding to promotion from sony for their films. They come to agreements with other companies to promote their films and doing so, makes them money back. i.e. the agreement with marvel comics to make spider-man. They also highly advertised the trailer on their own websites and through the actors in the films blogs etc.
They also used synergy, they advertised video games for the film that came out for playstation and also put the soundtrack on the website too as advertisement. They signed artists to Sony Columbia and made a music video for the promotion, this would make them money and promote the artists, the theme song by chad kroegers band nickelback helped promote them as a band, and made sony more money.
Sony used their own products to record the film, record the film onto and used all their discs to sell the film, also used their projectors/screens to show it. Therefore no money needed to be spent for the production of the film because they had everything to make the film without having to buy stuff for it, increasing profits. This is a perfect example of vertical integration.
The movie of my choice, ‘Monsters’, uses convergence in a way where two companies, Vertigo and Magnet Releasing, bonded to help distribute the film, each in different countries. Vertigo based in the UK and Magnet releasing based in the USA .
Viral marketing was used to promote ‘Monsters’, they used a social networking site called ‘foursquare’ which could be used on mobile phones, Two companies, ‘Vue entertainment’ and ‘Cineworld cinemas’ also helped market the film by creating competitions and offering prizes etc which attracted more people.
