European cinema on social media map: bridging cultural diversity and reaching audience in the era of digitalisation

Abstract

“With the introduction of social media into every field of our life, cinema and film industry also has become a medium which benefits from social media” (Kuruca, 2013). As a tool of marketing, social networks increase popularity and ratings of film before it reaches the big screen. This strategy is often used by individual film production companies, but what if we take European cinema as a whole and try to bridge its diverse identity and reach the audience by “mapping” and communicating it on social media? However, if we want to put European cinema on social media map, we have to understand the complexity of European identity as well as learn the rules of social media marketing. “Understanding and defining European, let alone the identity of European cinema, involves an obsessive wrestling with contradictions, suspicions, and uncertainties, and that fundamental complexity” (Everett, 2005). This paper analyses the potential of mapping European cinema on social media as well as introduces current audience development practices of European cinema industry. It also looks into European commission initiative, Creative Europe MEDIA sub-program. Mapping or communicating European cinema on social media includes various strategies, concepts and various stakeholders’ interests, therefore, looking at European cinema from institutional point of view is as important as understanding potential audience of supranational cinema.