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Jasmin Adam
is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Book and Media
Studies in Mainz and attached to the CHB. She is writing
her thesis on the reactions of the German publishing
industry to the emergence of silent film.
One important
aspect of her work is to examine the publishing strategies
developed to engage with the new competitor 'film'.
Provisions earned through the sale of film rights became
an indispensable additional source of income for publishers.
In addition, publishers realized that movie audiences
offered an opportunity to increase sales; thus they
were massively targeted with advertising. The specific
interests of the new target group defined not only advertising
strategies but also programming. "Books-after-the-film"
were established on the book market, and the segment
of film-related books excelled with high growth rates.
In examining
these three strategic aspects Jasmin aims to show that
the appearance of the new medium film led to a release
of innovative energies in the book industry. Within
the space of a few years, the book industry, including
classical publishers, had adapted to the new medium
and skillfully integrated it into its marketing strategies.
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