The Importance of Cross Media Convergence and Synergy in Production, Distribution and Marketing

The Avengers, is a 2012 American superhero film based on the Marvel comics superhero team of the same name, produced by Marvel studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sixth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Avengers Assemble: the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing: Who publicised and distributed the film? How did these companies work together? What roles did they undertake?

A Five-Year Marketing Plan: Avengers benefited from something no movie had before: It has been marketed to audiences since Iron Man first appeared at Comic-Con in 2007. When that movie became a surprise hit in May 2008 with a $98.6 million opening weekend, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige quickly unveiled his intention to make four more movies -- The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America -- all of which would lead to a giant team-up. Avengers characters like Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) popped up in those movies, and the original Iron Man featured a coda segment devoted to the Avengers initiative. At the time, only comic-book fans understood the reference.

"They established character equity that, when combined, makes one and one equal a lot more than two," notes Disney distribution head Dave Hollis. "This is Feige's six-year vision to get to a place where people would want to watch these characters assemble. "Grouping several heroes in one movie also primed a wider swath of moviegoers to show up opening weekend. Not a fan of Chris Evans as Captain America? How about Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man or Chris Hemsworth as Thor? "Every movie that they released was prepping for this one," says a top producer. "That's never been done before, and it was ingenious."

The Avengers audience breakdown -- 50 percent over 25, 40 percent female, 55 percent couples, 24 percent families -- shows the film's wide appeal. That's a testament to casting. Fortysomething leading men Downey, Renner and Mark Ruffalo signaled to adults that the movie wasn't just for kids. Hemsworth, 28, and Evans, 30, appealed to young adults, and Samuel L. Jackson, 63, has a huge African-American fan base. At the same time, colorful costumes helped sell the movie to youngsters.

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