Photo from: (28) Team work and synergy | LinkedIn
Jill Goodwin opens her conceptual explication of synergy with the standard definition being “the increased effectiveness that results when two or more businesses work together” (Synergy, n.d.)” (Goodwin, 2016). Goodwin then goes on to define synergy in her own words as, “the practice among media conglomerates of using one medium to promote products in another, using each to sell the other.” (Goodwin, 2016). Synergy is a constantly evolving concept in my opinion. While there’s one main definition in the dictionary, synergy when used to define media is constantly evolving due to the ever-changing landscape of media. One important example that I think Goodwin mentions is Disney’s practice of synergy “At Disney, 1+1=3. That’s Synergy” (Santoli, 2015)
Goodwin’s “Frozen” example of “movie in the Studio Entertainment business unit to merchandising pulled in the Disney Consumer business unit, viedo games and apps brought in the Disney Interactive business unit, a the television series Once Upon a Time focused half of a season on reuniting sisters Elsa and Anna bringing in the Media Networks business unit, and the 2016 opening of the Frozen attraction at Epcot will bring in the final business unit of Disney Parks and Resorts” (Goodwin, 2016) is another great example of synergy and how companies can come together to increase profit, brand recognition and more when working together.
synergy – Google Search. (n.d.).
A similar concept to synergy is symbiosis. The standard definition of symbiosis is “a cooperative relationship (as between two persons or groups) (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). King writes that “Whatever the future of AI, the symbiosis between media is guaranteed to broker unprecedented breakthroughs in art and consciousness. A too familiar sight in restaurants or at dinner tables- smart phones next to silverware if not in hand.” (King, 2024)
Photo from: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica.
In synergy, the focus is on a strategic combination of efforts or resources to achieve a more powerful/effective/profitable result than what the individual parties could achieve. This definition and the goal of synergy imply planning and execution, while symbiosis focuses on co-dependence or a deep connection/intertwining between parties. One difference between the two terms could be the intent vs. inherent nature of the relationships.
As I mentioned earlier, synergy is an intentional and strategic effort that leverages different parts of a specific goal. Symbiosis is more of a fusion that’s evolved without explicit intent (art and technology or artists depending on social media for extra promotion). While these terms seem to have many differences, there is still some overlap. The overlap I see between the two terms is the outcome of their combination. Both concepts describe interactions or relationships that lead to results further beyond what individual parties or companies could achieve on their own.
Comparing synergy and symbiosis improved my understanding of synergy by making the concept more straightforward. Synergy to me makes me think of collaboration, along with increased profit and results. Synergy is a crucial practice in public relations and all forms of media work. It benefits everyone involved and gets your brand/messaging out to your target audience and possibly beyond to secondary and tertiary audiences.
Photo from: Synergy – organization, system, company, business, system, History of synergy, Individuals and synergy.
WORKS CITED
Goodwin, J, (2016). A Concept Explication of Synergy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308237702_A_Concept_Explication_of_Synergy?enrichId=rgreq-96bb81beb67ce49c749e28d066356b10-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzMwODIzNzcwMjtBUzo0MDc3NTUyMzI5NTY0MTZAMTQ3NDIyNzgzMTIzMg%3D%3D&el=1_x_2
King, K. (n.d.). Art and Media Symbiosis. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/6/article/938377/pdf
Santoli, L. (2015). Inside the Disney marketing machine: In the era of Michael Eisner and Frank
Wells. Referenced from Goodwin’s article.
Synergy – organization, system, company, business, system, History of synergy, Individuals and synergy. (n.d.). https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Str-Ti/Synergy.html
synergy – Google Search. (n.d.).
TANTALO, C., & PRIEM, R. L. (2016). VALUE CREATION THROUGH STAKEHOLDER SYNERGY. Strategic Management Journal, 37(2), 314-329. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43897943
Team work and synergy | LinkedIn. (2023, March 8). https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/team-work-synergy-mohammad-abbas-rizvi-acca/
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, July 18). Symbiosis | Definition, Types, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/symbiosis
