A Look into Synergy and Media Convergence
Keywords: Synergy, Media Convergence, Convergence, Concepts
Introduction
The concept of synergy is widely explored in many industries. In general, the definition of synergy can be understood using this phrase: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Goodwin, 2016, p. 2). It can be commonly defined as “the combined power of a group of things when they are working together that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately” (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). When it comes to the media industry, “synergy is defined as ‘the practice among media conglomerates of using one medium to promote products in another, using each to sell the other’” (Olson, 2004, as cited in Goodwin, 2016, p. 3).
Media Convergence
Over the years, many researchers have looked into media convergence and tried to define what it means. Lawson-Borders (2003) defined it as “the realm of possibilities when cooperation occurs between print and broadcast for the delivery of multimedia content through the use of computers and the Internet” (p. 92). Jenkins (2004) said that “Media convergence is more than simply a technological shift. Convergence alters the relationship between existing technologies, industries, markets, genres and audiences. Convergence refers to a process, but not an endpoint” (p. 34). More clearly, Jenkins is saying that media convergence is a process in which the relationship between technologies, industries, markets, genres, and audiences changes. Seib (2001, as cited in Lawson-Borders, 2003, p. 92) stated that “convergence involved marrying the slick format of television with the almost infinite information-providing capacity of the Internet.” Nachison (2002, as cited in Lawson-Borders, 2003, p. 92) gave his definition of media convergence as “the strategic, operational, product and cultural union of print, audio, video, and interactive digital information services and organizations.” With these definitions together, we can piece together that media convergence involves the bringing together of different forms of media and the distribution of that media. For the purposes of this blog post, I will use Olson’s (2004, as cited in Goodwin, 2016, p. 3) definition of synergy and Jenkins’ (2004, p. 34) definition of media convergence.
Differences in Synergy and Media Convergence
When looking at synergy, the phenomenon that is observed is media conglomerates using one medium to promote products in another (Olson, 2004, as cited in Goodwin, 2016, p. 3). One example from Goodwin (2016) was Disney’s Frozen (p. 6). Disney not only released the movie, but also merchandise, show appearances, collaborations with other platforms, and even theme park amusement rides (Goodwin, 2016). Each of these products has the potential to promote the others. Ideally, the movie promotes the merchandise while the merchandise promotes the show appearances and vice versa. This illustrates how Disney synergizes all of its different branches around a singular intellectual property.
Now, looking at media convergence, the phenomenon that we are seeing is a change in the relationship between technologies, industries, markets, genres, and audiences (Jenkins, 2004). Jenkins (2004) argues that convergence can occur in a variety of ways, such as within devices, franchises, companies, audiences, etc. Jenkins brings up that there is “an alarming concentration of the ownership of mainstream commercial media, with a small handful of multinational media conglomerates dominating all sectors of the entertainment industry” (p. 33). However, Jenkins’ main point was that “media convergence is more than simply a technological change… Convergence refers to a process but not an endpoint” (p. 34).
The main difference I have found is that synergy refers to a media conglomerate’s ability to utilize different media to work together and reinforce each other, while media convergence refers to a process that changes relationships (Olson, 2004, as cited in Goodwin, 2016; Jenkins, 2004). For example, say two media companies come together and merge. Company A produces films and TV shows. Company B produces video games and apps. Company A creates a movie based on a superhero. Then, Company B creates a game based around that superhero. In this situation, media convergence refers to what actually changed in the relationship between the two companies once they became connected, and synergy refers to what they actually do with that connection.
Another difference that I have identified is that media convergence does not equal synergy. Let’s take the example from the paragraph above. Company A and Company B agree to a merger and combine to create Company C. The simple fact that Company A and Company B came together does not necessarily mean that Company C will achieve synergy. As Lawson-Borders (2003) argues, “convergence for the sake of convergence is not advisable” (p. 94). Taking the common understanding of synergy, as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, we can see that it implies that there is an enhanced or improved outcome when the separate components are brought together (Goodwin, 2016). However, just because Company A and Company B came together, that does not mean that their outcomes improved.
Similarities in Synergy and Media Convergence
Both synergy and media convergence deal with relationships between different parts of media that were once separate. Synergy looks at how those parts come together to enhance the outcome, while media convergence looks at how the relationships between those parts change as they come together (Olson, 2004, as cited in Goodwin, 2016; Jenkins, 2004). Both concepts deal with that connection between the parts of media. Take the previously mentioned Frozen example; we can see how Disney uses media convergence by having ties to many different forms of media and connecting them all together under the same intellectual property, while we can also see the synergy between the different branches of Disney through their long list of Frozen artifacts and the cross-promotion that each may provide to the others (Goodwin, 2016). These concepts overlap and are easily confused because both describe interconnected media systems, but, as we can see above, this does not mean they describe the same things.
Conclusion
Synergy and media convergence are very similar concepts that describe different things in the same relationship. This blog post helped my understanding of the two concepts immensely. My initial understanding of the concept of “synergy” was more along the lines of two or more components working together, which is more along the lines of media convergence. After this blog post, I now understand that convergence does not equal synergy and that synergy looks, specifically, at how those components interact and reinforce each other.
References
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Synergy. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/synergy
Goodwin, J. (2016, November). A concept explication of synergy [Conference paper]. Association for Business Communication, National Communication Association Annual Conference
Jenkins, H. (2004). The cultural logic of media convergence. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 7(1), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877904040603
Lawson‐Borders, G. (2003). Integrating new media and old media: Seven observations of convergence as a strategy for best practices in media organizations. International Journal on Media Management, 5(2), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/14241270309390023
