Media Series - TV
Marketing


Media industries – Pages 7-14
EDUQUAS

Analyse the trailers, clips and other marketing materials. Identify how 'The Jinx' marketed target audiences. Click on the images.

  • Sold on genre with a twist – focus on trailer.
  • Sold on narrative enigma and “what ifs?”- trailers and posters are driven by hermeneutics
  • Sold on contemporary relevance – “true crime”
  • Robert Durst– single image – appeals voyeuristically to audience –is this a murderer? Concept of spectacle
  • Sold as a quality programme from HBO– mark of trust
  • Sold worldwide (global reach)
  • Coverage in newspapers and television - front pages.
  • Final episode “event”
  • Social media “buzz”
  • Some merchandising (the calendar)
  • Created series “brand” - becomes iconic
  • These elements target different audiences

Looking at everything you have done in this section, explain the ways in which “The Jinx” illustrates Hesmondhalgh’s points? Develop your points with examples

  • Hesmondhalgh argues that whilst the traditional arts industries (e.g. theatre, ballet, opera) have been subsidised because they are “legitimized” culture, media industries are equally high risk but have no subsidy “cushion”.
  • Some of the risks are:
  • No guarantee of profitability
  • Expensive production costs
  • Cheap reproduction
  • Big hits are disproportionately profitable
  • Digitised content enables piracy
  • Media producers must therefore attempt to minimize risks to maximise profit.
  • Vertical and horizontal integration
  • Cross-media conglomeration and convergence
  • Developing a repertoire of tried and tested stars, genres, adaptations, franchises – “formatting” their own cultural products
  • Controlling release schedule/copyrights to create artificial scarcity
  • Control of circulation through distribution/marketing, including the internet
  • HBO production minimizes financial risk and guarantees US market.
  • Produced by major global media institution/vertically integrated company (TimeWarner) with cross-media interests e.g. film/TV
  • Tried and tested genre (documentary) with a “true crime” and current twist (Steve Neale’s “difference” which maintains audiences)
  • Adaptation of an existing case with existing audience interest
  • Promotion of director - separate fan base
  • Elements of franchise (Janecki’s All Good Things film) – companies format their own cultural products through heavily branded marketing
  • Controlled release and circulation/scheduled through HBO with HBO Now and HBO Go
  • High-profile marketing campaign including integrated use of internet and social media.
  • Use of testimonial – “quality” mark of HBO
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