1. Disney and Synergy
Lesson Objective: To evaluate
Disney’s use of synergy in marketing
and distribution

2. Synergy?

3. What is Synergy?
Synergy: Interconnected marketing and
distribution of media products across a range of
platforms and sectors

4. Tron Legacy
•Tron soundtrack by Daft
Punk released on Hollywood
Records.
•Tronorail ride at Walt Disney
World Florida.
•Disneyland Resort Calfornia,
ElecTRONica dance parties,
including sneak peak of the
film in 3D.

5. How was synergy used to promote Toy
Story 3?

6. Synergy and ‘Toy Story 3’
• Trailers – ‘Up’.
• Digital 3D re-release of ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Toy Story2’ – teaser
trailers for ‘Toy Story 3’.
• Blu Ray/DVD combo release of the films included ‘The Making
of Toy Story 3’ featurette.
• Disney Interactive Studios released ‘Toy Story 3: The Video
Game’ prior to the release of the film.
• ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ featured a performance from
the film.
• Sneak peeks of the film shown on the Disney Channel.
• Prior to the release the Disney Channel held a ‘Toy Story’ day,
showing the first two films and sneak peeks of the third one.

7. How important is synergy to the
promotion of Disney products?
• As former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner put
it, “The Disney Stores promote the consumer
products which promote the [theme] parks
which promote the television shows. The
television shows promote the company.”
• This can also be described as constant media
synergy, wherein everything within a franchise
promotes everything else.

8. Discussion Question- is synergy good or bad for film
audiences? -Where do you stand…?
Synergy means information
about a film can reach a
large amount of people
In attracting large audiences,
synergy brings money into the
film industry to be invested in
more films
Audiences can enjoy finding
out about the film in
different, exciting ways
Synergy wastes huge
amounts of money that
could be spent on the film
itself
Small independent film
companies struggle to
market their films without
such big marketing budgets
Audiences are ‘bombarded’
with mass advertising, which
has the ‘direct effect’ of
influencing them to see films
that might be of poor quality

9. Homework – Due Tuesday
Title: Is Synergy good or bad for film audiences?
• Consider both sides of the argument
• Refer closely to The Walt Disney Company and
Toy Story 3