Task 2

The digital media product I have chosen to analyse is the TV show Pretty Little Liars. Freeform, originally ABC family make the show who are a subsidiary of Walt Disney Company. They use horizontal integration to advertise their products through tv adverts, posters and merchandise such as lockets and cups. The traditional marketing they do is through Ident because they advertise their show on the TV and through billboards and posters for each new series. They sell their product directly to Freeform which is a short, traditional distribution method. They use social media the most to promote the show, with Pretty Little Liars having its own twitter and Facebook account run by the producer. They use this to do question and answer sessions with the public which helps engage the fans. Each character also has a Twitter account where fans can tell them their opinion on the show. Every week before a new episode on the Tuesday a trailer of the episode to come is put on YouTube which builds up suspense for the fans. This is the main method of new media distribution channels. YouTube, Facebook and twitter do this as part of a joint venture as they are not owned the Walt Disney Conglomerate. Across all media platforms the same logo is used to establish the brand and the main characters are always featured as this is what the audience know and they’re ideal selfs to younger viewers. The house style is always dark and suspicious which relates to the genre of a crime and thriller show.