This is an essay I wrote for my mock exam in the first year of my media studies course.
To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media in the media area you have studied? (50)
The media area which I have studied is film. Digital distribution is distribution which is achieved by using technology, for example websites and online trailers. Digital Distribution affects marketing and consumption in a number of ways which are mostly positive.
Multinational conglomerates such as the ‘Big Six’, who are an oligopy of multi-national film companies who dominate the film industry, use digital distribution to market their films. The ‘Big Six’ include Disney, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Columbia, Paramount and Universal. Universal released the film Jurassic World in the summer of 2015. They used above the line marketing to distribute their film. An example if this is there interactive website which acts as if the park actually exists giving information about all the animals and enclosures. Another way Universal used above the line marketing was with their app which was a game developed to spark excitement for the film. People could build their own Jurassic World on this App. These two digital distribution techniques affected the marketing of this film positively as they could use the app and website as a means to directly interact with their audience to generate excitement for their film.
Another way in which Universal digitally distributed their film was by uploading a teaser trailer online on November 4th 2014 to YouTube. This is a type of below the line marketing as it is free to use YouTube. However, this technique was also used to generate excitement for the film and was a successful way of marketing the film.
The film spectre which was released in October 2015 used a newer developed type of marketing on the App ‘Snapchat’ with a channel on the page for a day. The channel showed short clips of Spectre being filmed. By using this app Sony were able to reach their target audience and this had a positive effect on the marketing of their film. The film Spectre also used Synergy to distribute their film. The ‘Heineken’ TV advert promoted the beverage as well as the film as the advert was played around the same time as the film was released. The film also used cross media convergence of the Sony music studio which the song ‘The Writings on the Wall’ by Sam Smith which was the theme to the Bond film. The song and the TV advert were both key distribution factors for this films as they both generated interest for the film across the radio and on the television.
The maximum, and near average, budget of a films distribution is 40%. For some independent films this may not be enough money to distribute their film so they rely on below the line marketing, such as adding trailers online and using social media. The Film Devils Due released a Publicity Stunt Video online of a Baby in a pram scaring pedestrians in a town centre. The video went viral meaning it developed a huge amount of publicity for this film and is probably the result of the film making a profit. The digital distribution used for this film was a very successful example of below the line marketing.
The only negative there is for independent films in regards to marketing is that all of the free below the line marketing techniques can also be used by the mainstream films as well.
The consumption of a film is also affected by digital distribution. Due to the increase in online software people can now watch films online. This is a new way for people to consume films online and it means companies can make even more money for their films. There are also a variety of ways people can view films now as a result of advancements in technology such as phones and tablets being able to stream films. These are positive effects of digital distribution.
For Independent films the use of simultaneous release is available as a result of the advancements in technology. Smaller independent films can be released online and on DVD, or online and in cinema etc to try and accumulate a better gross for their film. An example of this is the film Grace in 2014 which successfully made a profit from this way of releasing their film. The advancements in digital distribution mean that people from rural places and small villages can watch world cinema and niche films online when they wouldn’t normally be able to.
The two problems with digital distribution for all films is piracy and plots being released online. Illegal websites can often hinder the box office of films if they illegally become available online as people won’t go to the cinema to view them. Film plots are also sometimes released online such as the surprise ending to the new Star Wars film. These two factors of digital distribution affect the film industry negatively.
In conclusion, digital distribution affects the marketing and consumption and a variety of ways which consist of above and below the line marketing along with different platforms to screen films. However, the majority of these factors are positive which gives the impression that the affect digital distribution has on marketing and consumption is positive.