Sony used various techniques to promote and profit from the Spiderman film across its different business divisions in a synergistic way: - The film was distributed by Sony Pictures, the soundtrack featured artists signed to Sony Music labels, and the film was adapted into a video game for PlayStation consoles. - Sony also benefited from product placements of its own products in the film and profits from related merchandise like toys, clothes and posters that promoted both the Spiderman brand and Sony. - This vertical and horizontal integration across Sony's film, music, gaming and technology divisions allowed it to converge media platforms and spread the commercial potential of the Spiderman property more widely, while diversifying its business risks. Sony also engaged in

1. Spiderman

2. Synergy
• Synergy is when the interaction of two or
more forces working together creates a
greater effect than the sum of their individual
effort.
• Synergy works when different elements within
media conglomerate promote (e.g. film
studio).

3. Spiderman Synergy
• Film- Sony Pictures
• Soundtrack- Sony Music Entertainment
• First Spiderman film, all artists are Sony artists. Theme tune sung
by Chad Kroeger of Nickelback who are signed to Road Runner
Records which are owned by Sony.
• Game- PlayStation2, PSP,
• DVD- Blue-Ray
• Product Placement- Sony would have been paid to use a Carlsberg
van in the film.
Joint venture with Marvel Comics
Other merchandise- toys, clothes, posters all promote the film and
benefit Sony financially.

4. Advantages of Synergy
• Companies like Sony can spread their commercial interests.
• Diversification means a reduction risk.
• Increase profit of each separate medium.
• Enhances companies image.
• Can reach shrinking audience with diverse taste.
• Influence public opinion.
• Dominate a variety of markets.
• Sharing skills between two companies and exploiting
strengths (Sony and Marvel, Sony and Ericsson, Sony and
3Mobile).

5. Problems with Synergy
• Easier in theory than in practice. Different
companies may have different ideas.
• Can lead to loss of in jobs. Sony has laid off
19,500 workers this year.
• Merging together to exploit strengths or sharing
risk?
• Smaller companies who only specialise in one
medium struggle to compete.
• Leads to oligopolies – uneven distribution of
power.

6. Horizontal and Vertical Integration
• Often a single parent company will own multiple companies in
the film industry.
• Horizontal- The parent company owns multiple companies at
the same stage of the film industry. A smaller
company, owned by the parent is subsidiary.
• Vertical- The parent company owns multiple companies
across different stages of the film industry.
• Example Warner Bros owns-
Warner Bros Studios (production)
Warner Bros (distribution)
Used to own Warner Bros cinemas in the UK (exhibition)

7. Spiderman- Vertical and Horizontal
Integration

8. Convergence
• It is quite literally the convergence of media or
in other words the confluence of different
media through the use of technology. An
example of this being that music player is a
medium for listening to music but the
convergence of media allows the same music
to be enjoyed using different media like the
mobile, internet, etc.

9. Convergence- Spiderman
SONY
MUSIC
CONSUMPTION
MUSIC
PRODUCTION
FILM
CONSUMPTION
FILM
PRODUCTIONTV
HARDWARE
GAMING
MUSIC
DISTRIBUTION
JIVE
RECORDS
ACID
MUSIC
STUDIO
BLU-
RAY
SONY
PICTURESHDTV
BRAVIA

10. Viral Marketing
• Is a marketing strategy that focuses on
spreading information and opinions about a
product or service from person to
person, especially by using unconventional
means such as the Internet or e-mail.

11. Viral Marketing- Spiderman
• Since the release of a third theatrical trailer for the
Spider-Man reboot, additional images and TV spots
have flooded the ‘Net.
• Rumours that a fourth trailer will be attached to
prints of Men in Black 3 which was distributed by
Sony Columbia.
• Sony is also emulating The Dark Knight‘s approach to
success, with an elaborate Amazing Spider-Man viral
marketing campaign – including, fake Daily Bugle
news scoops and instructions on how to construct
artificial web-shooters.

12. Amber Films