Storyboarding Disney Synergy

Background

When Disney purchased ABC in 1995, Disney CEO Michael Eisner said that he was “optimistic that one plus one adds up to four.” What he was referring to was the concept of synergy. Synergy is a process where a large media conglomerate, such as Disney, takes its separate holdings (e.g., television networks, magazines, motion picture studios, theme parks) and has them work together to produce revenue and visibility that none of the individual holdings could have produced separately.

For instance, with its purchase of ABC, Disney acquired a major television network where it could promote its motion picture and theme park holdings (and vice-versa). It did just that when the plot for the George Lopez Show called for the Lopez family to visit Disneyland, and viewers were encouraged to spot hidden images of Mickey Mouse throughout the show. Thus, a TV show on a Disney-owned network provided cross-promotion for the Disney’s theme park and movie characters.

Another version of synergy involves taking a promising concept in one medium and developing content based on that concept for a media conglomerate’s other holdings. For instance, after the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana became a hit in 2006, Disney Music Group produced the double album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), Disney’s Buena Vista Concerts produced and promoted Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (2007), and Walt Disney Studios produced both a 3D film based on the concert, as well as Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). Thus, Disney took a single promising concept (Hannah Montana), and cross-developed that concept across the company’s other holdings (e.g., recordings, concerts, motion pictures). In doing so, it simultaneously generating revenue from each of these various holdings and enhancing the popularity of the Hannah Montana brand.

Having pursued new revenue and promotion possibilities from among their diverse media holdings, conglomerates such as Disney can then reach out beyond their own holdings for more revenue and promotion opportunities through merchandise licensing. By striking exclusive licensing deals with the manufacturers and marketers of video games, toys, board games, posters, backpacks, and tee-shirts (among many, many other products), Disney can generate even more revenue from and promotion for its characters and content.

In our reading for this week, Wasko uses the example of Disney’s Hercules (1997) to demonstrates just how orchestrated these synergistic strategies of cross-promotion, cross-development, and merchandise licensing can be. As you’re reading Wasko’s chapter for this week, note how in each and every case, Disney’s diverse holdings and relationships with licensees were used to pursue one or both of the following goals:

(a) generate revenue for Disney based on the Hercules brand (b) generate greater visibility for the Hercules brand. This assignment

In this assignment you’ll work in your groups to explore how Disney has used its diverse holdings and relationships with licensees to generate revenue from and visibility for one of its animated feature films’ brands. You’ll start by selecting one of Disney’s animated feature films from the 1990s, 2000s, or 2010s. My recommendation is to select one of Disney’s more popular films, such as Toy Story, Cars, or Tangled. This will increase the likelihood of identifying examples of corporate synergy and strategic merchandise licensing. Do not select Hercules, since Wasko’s already done all the research necessary in her chapter for this week.

Part 1 -- Searching for Synergy

Having decided on a Disney film, your group’s task is now to identify examples of Disney using its diverse holdings or relationships with licensees to generate revenue from and visibility for that film’s brand. Doing so will require relying on information-rich websites (e.g., Wikipedia; the Disney Wiki) and using search engines (e.g., Google).

Start by going to the film’s Wikipedia page. Read through the Wikipedia page, and pay special attention to sections with relevant headings, such as “release” and “merchandising.” In these sections you’re likely to find information about: how Disney promoted the film for its release; if Disney published any soundtracks, books, or video games also using the film’s brand (including its characters); or if Disney entered into any licensing deals with merchandisers that made products using the brand (and characters). When you find an example of Disney employing synergy -- for example, a Disney-produced or licensed Hercules video game -- make note of it, and see if there are any references at the bottom of the Wikipedia page that can provide more information about that example. If a reference is not provided at the bottom of the Wikipedia page, do a Google search so you can learn more about the example and verify that the information about it on Wikipedia is accurate (Wikipedia is a great place to start your research and a bad place to end it). Whenever you find information about Disney making use of synergy and licensing in conjunction with your film make sure to save the URL.

WIkipedia may not provide all the examples needed for this assignment, though. I’d recommend reading through the entry for your film on the Disney Wiki (a collaborative wiki dedicated to Disney that anyone can edit). And I’d also recommend searching with Google for “Disney Hercules release” “Disney Hercules merchandising”, “Disney Hercules video game”, “Disney Hercules books”, and so on.

Once you have 8 to 10 examples of corporate synergy and/or strategic licensing in hand, sit down with your group and talk about how each of these examples relates to your film’s brand. Is Disney using the film’s brand to generate additional revenue streams, such as with a Happy Meal toy, theme park ride, or soundtrack? Is Disney creating additional products or content to generate greater visibility for the film’s brand, as a parade or a TV documentary about the film’s making would do? In many cases, you will have examples in which Disney has BOTH generated additional revenue based on the film’s brand AND generated greater visibility for the film’s brand. For instance, a Hercules video game can generate BOTH revenue for Disney based on the Hercules brand AND greater visibility for that brand. Part 2 -- Storyboarding Disney Synergy with Storyboard That

Now that your group has a collection of examples of Disney using synergy and licensing to generate revenue from and visibility for your film, we’re going to document what you’ve found as a group using a free “storyboarding” tool named Storyboard That. To do so, have one of your group members click here.

To create a Storyboard That account for your group, start by clicking the pink “Register Here” button. Then, use your group number as your user name, and pick a password your whole group will be able to remember. For instance:

Then, enter your group number as “Your Name,” and click “Join Classroom” and “Create a Storyboard”. The Storyboard That tools are relatively easy to use, but be sure to get started early enough on this project so that you don’t find yourself trying to learn the tools at the last minute.

The top toolbar identifies the elements that can be added to your storyboard, such as characters, “textables”, and uploaded images. For our purposes, we’re primarily going to be uploading images and creating “textables”. The images you upload will be Web images of synergy and licensing examples you found in Part 1 -- for example, the cover art for the Hercules video game. Textables are text boxes you can use to explain the images in each of your storyboard cells. For example, in the cell below I added an image of the Hercules video game, and I used a textable to explain how that Hercules-branded video game generates both revenue for Disney and visibility for the Hercules brand. Each of the cells in your storyboard should include an image of Disney synergy or licensing, and it should explain how Disney used synergy or licensing to generate revenue from the film’s brand, greater visibility for the film’s brand, or both. In a separate Word document file, assemble a works cited page with citations for information that corresponds with the each cell on your storyboard. For instance, the (6) at the end of this cell’s textable indicates that this information about the Hercules video game corresponds to citation number 6 on my works cited page.

The bottom toolbar includes other important tools, including “Save” and “Add Cells.” You should save your storyboard periodically, and your storyboard should include 9 cells in a 3x3 configuration. “Click on Add Cells” to change your storyboard’s configuration, as follows: For your 3x3 storyboard, the center cell should be reserved for the feature film, itself. The eight surrounding cells should each identify an example of Disney’s use of synergy or licensing.

After you’ve completed assembling your storyboard as a group, click “Save” and then save your storyboard’s webpage as a PDF. You do not need to “submit” your group’s storyboard anywhere, since I will have access to all storyboards created using Storyboard That; however, you will submit the works cited page for your storyboard using this submission form.

Part 3 -- Reflection Paper

As individuals, each member of your group will draft a 1/2-page, single-spaced reflection paper discussing Disney’s use of synergy and/or strategic licensing. In this reflection paper you should answer the following:

● Of the examples in your storyboard, what do you think is the ONE most effective way in which Disney has used synergy or strategic licensing to generate revenue based on your film’s brand? Why do you think this was an effective strategy? ● Of the examples in your storyboard, what do you think is the ONE most effective way in which Disney has used synergy or strategic licensing to generate visibility for your film’s brand? Why do you think this was an effective strategy?

Submitting Part 3: After you’ve completed Part 3, as an individual, you will use this submission form to submit your 1/2-page reflection paper.

Each part of this process is due by 5:00 pm on Sunday, November 3. Hercules Storyboard By Dr. Corrigan, Last Modified: 10/28/2013, 6:59:48 AM Hercules Storyboard – Works Cited

1. Gest, E. (1997, June 10). Disney’s ready to roll with Herculean labor. New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/disney-ready-roll-herculean-labor -article-1.757065

2. Hercules - An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack. (n.d.). The Disney Wiki. http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Hercules_-_An_Original_Walt_Disney_Records_Sou ndtrack

3. Hercules (1997 film). (n.d.). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_(1997_film)

4. Alexander, D. (2013, August 25). Disney’s Hercules at McDonald’s. http://danalexanderdizmentia.blogspot.com/2013/08/disneys-hercules-at-mcd onalds.html

5. Abramowitz, R. (2006, May 8). Disney Loses Its Appetite for Happy Meal Tie-Ins. Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/08/entertainment/et-mcdonalds8

6. Disney’s Hercules. (n.d.). MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/game/disneys-hercules-