Fox's Prison Break Finale Demonstrates the Power Social Media

Is "Prison Break's" Michael really dead?

That's what Fox wanted viewers to wonder before the series finished its run on May 15.

But the studio that created the show -- 20th Century Fox Television -- also relied on a well-timed social media strategy to generate interest in the character's fate, the final episode, and two never-before-seen episodes releasing on DVD in July.

The studio's efforts illustrate how media companies can best use social networking services like Twitter and online forums to engage fans, an increasingly important marketing tool especially with the media attention Twitter is receiving these days. Fox's subtle approach dovetails with the findings of a recent Knowledge Networks study reporting that social media works better for brand-building than direct sales or tune-in pitches.

For the "Prison Break" case, in the weeks leading up to the May 15 series finale, fans were buzzing across social media about rumors that the character of Michael was going to die in the finale without having wed his longtime love, explained Steven Melnick, senior VP of marketing at 20th Century Fox Television in a telephone interview with Beet.TV.

When the season finale ran, viewers were led to believe that Michael might be dead. But after the West Coast airing, the studio posted a wedding photo on social media services of Michael and his love interest. Fans reacted on social media sites, asking each other what the photo meant. Shortly after, Fox announced it was releasing the "Prison Break: The Final Break," an 88-minute DVD with two new episodes on July 21, including the marriage of the two characters.

Melnick said in this case Fox used social media to both monitor and then “shift” word-of-mouth chatter about the show. Posting the photo led to a whole new slew of social networking activity and subsequent interest in the DVD release, he added.

"To most effectively engage and ultimately activate the fan base, it is better to surprise them with a piece of content...that will keep the blogosphere alive, rather than giving them a promotional on-sale message which rarely has that effect," he told Beet.TV. "It puts them in the position of evangelists for the property rather than merely consumers of it."

That's because less than one-third of Internet users rely on social media like Twitter to decide what programs to watch online or on TV, according to the Knowledge Networks study. The report found that while 83% of the Internet population engages in social media – with 47% doing so on a weekly basis – less than 5% of social media users regularly turn to these sites for guidance on purchase decisions.

Daisy Whitney, Senior Producer

Posted on 05/28/2009 at 1:46 AM
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Comments

This is my all time favorite show. I like this show very much. Now I am very excited to watch its next season.

http://prison-break.otavo.tv/

Posted by: martins ewans | Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 07:47 AM

The Final Break just shows how he died. After watching I'm still just as pissed off that they killed him. Oh and the wedding is about 2 minutes of the 88 minutes. I was a loyal fan for 4 years but I'm through being manipulated by these people. They can take their season 4 DVD and the Final Break DVD and go to hell.

Posted by: zercath | Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 02:29 PM

Hi,
I heard yet studio vans, transportation trucks and construction vehicles freely crossed the picket line as Fox shows like “24” and “Prison Break” remained in production, at least for the moment — perhaps quelling the writers’ hope that a strong show of support by Hollywood’s blue-collar workers would heighten the strike’s effect.

Posted by: chinese herbs | Monday, January 11, 2010 at 06:41 AM

I truly believe that To most effectively engage and ultimately activate the fan base, it is better to surprise them with a piece of content...that will keep the blogosphere alive.

Posted by: r4i | Monday, December 28, 2009 at 06:29 AM

Nasty, manipulation of the highest order.
How cruel of you to leak false information giving people hope that viewers will get the happy ending. Leaking a wedding picture when we didnt see the wedding just the few seconds before cruely tempting us to tune in. Its been the same the whole way long pull us in with these snippets but take it away and leave us with nothing. No wonder Wentworth didnt want to get involved in the whole $$$ greed and manipulation and lies has ruined a perfectly good show with one of the best tv castings and a huge loyal fanbase, what a waste of four years the ending was shite too did they get anything correct or was maipulating the viewers the only way forward?

Posted by: Donna | Friday, May 29, 2009 at 08:36 PM

Diane i agree with you.I hate them for doing this and i always will.and what do they do?they give us a wedding photo so we would actually tune in?HOW CRUEL IS THAT?you should give us exactly what we wanted,so we would tune in and remember this show as the best show ever.but it has ruined my life.because im so sad all the time.we invest and invest and invest and than it ends like this?
i will never ever watch a show on fox or a show written by these writers again.they can take the dvd and shove it.

Posted by: Dea | Friday, May 29, 2009 at 04:09 PM

You guys should check this fan community! I still feel so depressed about it but reading all the posts and comments in there makes me feel slightly better.

http://community.livejournal.com/savethegooddr/

Posted by: Diane | Friday, May 29, 2009 at 09:28 AM

Michael's dead. The Final Break just shows how he died. After watching I'm still just as pissed off that they killed him. Oh and the wedding is about 2 minutes of the 88 minutes. I was a loyal fan for 4 years but I'm through being manipulated by these people. They can take their season 4 DVD and the Final Break DVD and go to hell.

Posted by: Diane | Friday, May 29, 2009 at 08:35 AM

But Israel only aired 83 minutes.
There will be 88 minutes.

Posted by: Lisa | Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 12:25 PM

Everybody know what happens.
Israel aired it.
Nobody would buy the DVD when Michael die.

I hate the finale!!!!

Posted by: Sonja | Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 12:23 PM