- Sold on genre with a twist – focus on trailer and reviews (link to Neale).
- Sold on enigma – social media buzz.
- Sold as a quality drama – marks of trust – Canal+, C4, etc. Peabody and BAFTA awards used to target ABC1 audience.
- Sold worldwide (US spin-off for1 series); subtitled versions in e.g. UK and Germany.
- Coverage in magazines – ‘event’ of second series covered in TV listings guides.
- Some merchandising (e.g. spin-off, novelisation, T-shirts) target collector/fan audience who become part of the fan community.
- Magazine coverage in SFX and Total Film targets film fan, sci/fi horror audience.
- Innovative, interactive website targets a younger, tech-literate audience.
- As does Canal + strategy offering 360˚ virtual navigation of the town on multiple platforms.
- Created series ‘brand’.
These elements target different audiences. Hesmondhalgh argues that companies use these techniques to minimise risk and maximise profit. With its follow-up series 2 and spin-off American version, it reflects his notion of major media institutions formatting their own cultural products.
