The AvengersSynergy

The Avengers is a 2012 film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Marvel Studios is a motion picture studio owned by Marvel Entertainment, which in turn is owned by Walt Disney Company. The DVD, blu ray and digital download was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. The score was by Alan Silvestri and released under the label of Marvel Music.

To tie in with the release with the film, Marvel Entertainment made a deal with a major games developer, Ubisoft, to create a video game based around the Avengers. This is an example of horizontal integration.

Promotion – Video Games

Contrasting this, the web based game “Avengers Alliance”, was also used to promote the film, but is an example of vertical

intergration. The developer, Playdom, is a subsidiary of Disney Interactive Media Group.This use of new technologies to promote the film is a good marketing strategy to reach a larger audience and gain more money.

iTunesThe first trailer for the film debuted exclusively on iTunes Movie Trailers. It was downloaded of 10 million times within the first 24 hours, breaking the websites record of most viewed trailer. Disney, or Marvel, would have made a deal with iTunes, allowing them to be the distributers for the trailer; this deal would be beneficial to both companies. Avengers would have gained huge attention and probably increased ticket sales for the film, whereas iTunes would have a lot of traffic coming into the website due to the exclusivity of the trailer. On the Avengers website, an iTunes logo alongside an apple is advertised to the side. This is an example of horizontal integration.

This is an example of viral marketing using new technology and new means of distribution. The trailer to the film appeared in cinemas, on the tv and the internet. The internet is the most important one, because it reaches the largest amount of people who are potential customers.

TVA TV series based around the fictional organization, SHIELD, which is present within the film is being produced by Marvel Television and being distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. The show is going to tie in with the universe established by the film and star Clark Gregg. Clark Gregg plays a fan favourite in the movies and putting his character into the show is a good marketing ploy. Also, the show is being written, directed and produced by Joss Whedon. The director gained a lot of attention from his commercial and critical success with the Avengers and putting him at the helm of this project will draw in a larger audience.

Toys Marketing to younger audiences involved action figures and toy props. Presumably, Marvel Toys, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, manufactured and produced these toys.

PostersThe main concept of the Avengers movie is a big, action packed summer blockbuster that consists of an all-star and can appeal to everyone from hardcore comic fans to average cinema goers looking for some fun. The marketing did a good job at enticing both of these demographics and this is evident within the posters. The posters portray the characters that the fans love, but also shows off the scale of the movie, the burn buildings, smoke and a devastated NYC etc, and it also makes sure to include the all-star cast within the picture:• Robert Downey Jr.• Chris Evans• Mark Ruffalo• Chris Hemsworth• Scarlett Johansson• Jeremy Renner• Samuel L. Jackson• Tom Hiddleston’s name is also present.

Synergy“The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.”

Disney’s Avengers a perfect example of synergy, to market the film, they cooperated and stretched themselves across numerous industries to build a greater marketing campaign.

Convergence

The Avengers also gives us a good look at the benefits of using convergence. To produce and market the film, Disney used various media platforms in conjunction, both old and new, to create one of the highest grossing films of all time.