We invite PhDs with an interest in promotional media industries in a broad sense and from
various disciplines to present and discuss their projects in a two-day workshop to be held at
the Department of Media Studies, Stockholm University, 1-2 December 2022. This workshop
seeks to connect PhDs with shared research interests across Sweden and provide an
opportunity to exchange perspectives on promotional media beyond disciplinary boundaries.
Taking place at Filmhuset (Borgvägen 1-4), the workshop will feature screenings of
promotional media, presentations from and a panel with Swedish scholars from media and
marketing fields, interactive sessions focused on PhD participants’ research, and a keynote
by Professor Paul Grainge (University of Nottingham). Grainge has written extensively on
branding and promotion in contemporary media industries, including books on Brand
Hollywood: Selling Entertainment in a Global Media Age (2008), Ephemeral Media:
Transitory Screen Culture from Television to YouTube (2011), and Promotional Screen
Industries (2016, co-authored with Catherine Johnson).
We encourage PhD students from across Sweden to submit short abstracts (250 words)
covering (parts of) their research project related to promotional media industries. PhD
students will be allotted 20 minutes each to present their projects and receive feedback from
scholars whose interests in promotional media industries stretch across various disciplines.
Participation in the workshop is free and includes lunch (both days) and dinner (day 1).
Possible subjects include (but are in no way limited to):
- Promoting the media industry today and historically through media, e.g. movie
trailers, advertisements, TV idents, fan magazines - Promotional media beyond the media industry
- The role of promotional media and its industry today
- Histories of promotional media and industries
- Promotional media dispositifs
- Promotional media formats and forms
- Celebrities / stars / public figures and promotional media
- Branding and influencer industries
- “Useful cinema”
- Promotional media and race, gender, sexuality, class
- Promotional media as a creative / meaningful / informative endeavour
Abstracts (max. 250 words) and a bio (max. 100 words) should be submitted via email to
esme.fransen@ims.su.se before 23 September, 2022. Please include “PROMOTIONAL
MEDIA WORKSHOP” in the subject line.
Selected participants will be informed by the end of October.
Please contact esme.fransen@ims.su.se if you have any questions about the event