Divergent Transmedia Strategy: Film Promotion Analysis

Introduction to Transmedia Storytelling

The transmedia concept is not a novelty in contemporary media studies. The term was first coined in 1991 by then-USC professor Marsha Kinder, while the transmedia storytelling concept was later developed by USC Annenberg professor Henry Jenkins. Jenkins describes transmedia storytelling as "a process in which integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story" (Tenderich, 2013).

More precisely, transmedia allows a film to go beyond the theater and ensures that the experience itself is channeled via multiple means of communication — whether the written press, social media, action figures, video games, or any other platform that can exploit the subject of the film in order to attract a larger audience, higher revenue, and ultimately greater success. From the audience's perspective, the creation of subsequent video games or action figures — the Harry Potter franchise being just one example — only deepens the fan experience and allows it to expand across different channels.

The film Divergent makes use of several transmedia elements to ensure success both at the box office and in terms of prestige for its producing companies, Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment. These elements include social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, which allow fans and interested parties to interact around the film; printed media channels, starting from the marketing strategy of directly linking the film to its source novel; and pre-launch teasers distributed through print and online media. Additionally, by using the film's soundtrack and collaborating with well-known names from the music industry, the producers ensured the film would be promoted on radio, transferring yet another element of the film's identity to a media channel.

Summary of the Property

The targeted audience for Divergent is similar to that of The Hunger Games, another series released previously by the same studio, which focuses on comparable sci-fi action themes — albeit with a different story line. Importantly, in this case the audience had already been partially captured by the books, meaning the author had set the stage for the film and helped identify its target market. Unfortunately for Divergent, the overall type of story did not present something entirely new for its target audience, as it is built on concepts familiar from similar properties: a broken society, the need to fight authority, and a leadership struggle driven purely by the desire for power. For this reason, critics frequently associated the book and film with their predecessors (Lombardi, 2014).

Divergent is based on the novel of the same name by American author Veronica Roth. The film is the first in a series focusing on the story of Four and Tris — two characters who inhabit a post-apocalyptic future in which people are divided into categories according to their most prominent character trait and their own personal choice. The story line is considerably more complex, engaging with contemporary ideas about avoiding destructive wars and constructing an ideal society. As the first film in its series, Divergent depicts the initial struggles the two characters must face and introduces viewers to the concept of divergence and the abilities that divergent individuals like Tris possess — abilities for which they will eventually be persecuted.

The film was officially released on March 21, 2014, and had earned approximately $210 million worldwide by April 22, 2014 (Box Office Mojo, 2014). Most critics viewed it as a success that appealed effectively to its intended audience. However, some critics considered the film to fall below the quality standard of the book, despite the author's significant contribution to the script (Lombardi, 2014).

Targeted Audience

As a transmedia project, Divergent is built around a story line intended to be followed from beginning to end. The struggle Tris, the main female character, must endure to understand her nature as a divergent — and then to protect herself and her family from those determined to eliminate divergents because of their free spirit and independent thought — provides the backbone of the story. Alongside Four, the main male character, who carries his own internal conflicts relating to past fears, his relationship with his father, and his own faction, the story also incorporates a romantic subplot. This element allowed the producers to appeal to a wider audience beyond those interested strictly in science fiction, though the core targeted demographic remained young adults, and in particular those who were already fans of the genre.

An important component of the marketing campaign was the decision to officially link the film to its source novel before release and to actively encourage audiences to read the book first. As reported in Variety: "Lionsgate has partnered with HarperCollins to print an edition of 'Divergent' that's tied to the movie, with a first run of 1.5 million copies. The imprint is milking its foreign publishing deals to coordinate promotions with Lionsgate's international film distributors. 'We're united in pushing the "read it before you see it" message,' says Jean McGinley, HarperCollins senior director of subsidiary rights" (Cheney, 2014). Through this initiative, the producers attempted to distinguish Divergent from the studio's previous successes — The Hunger Games and Twilight — and create a distinctive identity for the series. By appealing to one of the oldest means of spreading ideas, namely the printed book, the producers aimed to place Divergent in its own category and give it a singular personality. According to critics, however, this approach was not entirely successful.

Another significant aspect of the pre-release stage involved the channels used to promote the story through teasers, photographs, trailers, and interviews. All of these modern transmedia channels targeted the core audience — predominantly young adults and, in particular, females. The channels employed included social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; television networks such as MTV, which naturally appeals to the film's target demographic; and YouTube, which broadcast the official trailer prior to release.

The film's music was yet another element that contributed to its transmedia experience. Rather than consisting entirely of new or unknown compositions, the soundtrack featured artists already familiar to the target audience, making radio an additional channel through which the film could reach listeners. The soundtrack included works by Ellie Goulding and Snow Patrol, and drew influences from Kanye West — all well-known artists whose involvement boosted the film's visibility and expanded the range of environments in which it could be promoted (Smith, 2014). This effect was further amplified by the release of the official soundtrack album, which allowed audiences to purchase or download the music, creating an even more immersive audio experience connected to the film.

Conclusion

Smith, Courtney. "Q&A: 'Divergent' Music Supervisor Randall Poster Talks About The Influence of 'Yeezus' & Ellie Goulding On Film's Soundtrack." Radio.com, 21 March 2014.

Tenderich, Burghardt. "Design Elements of Transmedia Branding." January 2013. Available at