Initiating Relationships in
Destination Marketing
A Case Study of the Wallander Film Production
Bachelor’s Thesis 15 hp
Department of Business Studies
Uppsala University
Spring Semester of 2017
Date of Submission: 2017-01-13
Agnes Karlsson
Supervisor: Virpi Havila
Abstract
This thesis focuses on the process of initiating relationships in destination marketing and
includes an in-depth case study of the Wallander film series. Destination marketing is unique
due to its dependency on relationship creation – typically, dynamic contacts have to be
established between the film company, its financial sponsors and the stakeholders in the
designated destination. In order to understand how these relationships are created and their
dynamics, this thesis explores the factors that impact the process of initiating relationships,
called converters and inhibitors. The results reveal that views differ between the film production
company and the regional authorities tied to the destination as to which factors that act as
converters and inhibitors. While both parties agree that striving for mutual understanding &
social chemistry are important converters, the production company further adds a receptive
attitude & motivated approach and creatively driven visionaries as vital converters. The
regional authorities on the other hand highlight mutual respect, passion/courage-driven
visionaries and structure, transparency & communication as key converters. As for the
inhibitors, the production company points to lack of motivation, lack of resources and lack of
open-mindedness, while the regional authorities highlight lack of mutual understanding &
respect, bureaucratic layers and industry-related cultural differences.
Keywords: Destination Marketing, Initiation Process of Relationships, Business Relationships,
Networks, Wallander, Film
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude towards my supervisor Virpi Havila for her advice and
support along the journey of writing this thesis. Further, I want to thank the following people
for their time and expertise shared during the interviews made for this thesis: Ole Sondberg,
Daniel Gylling, Ralf Ivarsson, Carl-Johan Korsås, Kent Mårtensson, Thomas Lantz & Petra
Rundqvist.
Contents
1. Background ............................................................................................................................ 3
1.1 Main Purpose ................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Research Gap ................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Research Question ........................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Structure of Analysis........................................................................................................ 5
2. Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Overview of Research Field............................................................................................. 6
2.2 Initiating Business Relationships ..................................................................................... 7
2.3 Networks .......................................................................................................................... 9
2.3.1 Connected Relations & Business Networks ............................................................. 9
2.4 Summary of Analysis Model ......................................................................................... 10
3. Method ................................................................................................................................. 11
3.1 Selection of Research Area ............................................................................................ 11
3.2 Selection of Method: A Qualitative Case Study ............................................................ 11
3.3 Choice of Film Production ............................................................................................. 12
3.4 Selection of Informants .................................................................................................. 13
3.5 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 16
3.6 Reliability & Validity of the Study ................................................................................ 16
4. Empiri: Results..................................................................................................................... 17
4.1 The Initiation Process of the Relationships ................................................................... 17
4.1.1 Yellow Bird approach Film i Skåne and Ystad Municipality ................................. 17
4.1.2 Chasing Financial Funds Engages Actors Outside of Ystad Municipality ............. 19
4.1.3 Specifying the Terms of the Relationships ............................................................. 20
4.1.4 The Project Up and Running – What Happens Next? ............................................ 21
4.2 Converters & Inhibitors in the Process of Initiating the Relationships ......................... 22
4.2.1 The Process Facilitated due to Receptivity, Enthusiasm & Flat Hierarchies ......... 22
4.2.2 Structure, Trust & Mutual Respect: Impact on the Process .................................... 24
4.2.3 Cultural Differences & Bureaucratic Layers Partly Complicate the Relationships 26
5. Analysis................................................................................................................................ 27
5.1 Initiating the Relationships - Mapping out Converters & Inhibitors ............................. 28
5.2 The Virtual Corporation & Network Functions ............................................................. 29
Concluding Remarks................................................................................................................ 31
References ................................................................................................................................ 33
Appendix .................................................................................................................................. 35
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1. Background
An increase in international travel and a growing entertainment industry have fuelled film
tourism to become a growing phenomenon worldwide. Just as product placements will
influence a consumer’s attitude towards a brand, so will films have an impact on how travellers
view destinations, if the location plays a part in a popular film. Some argue that exposing a
destination in a film may be the ultimate tourism product placement (Hudson & Ritchie, 2016,
p. 387-388). Already in 2005, Hudson and Ritchie (2005) regarded film tourism as an exploding
trend because of the concept’s evident benefits. Their definition of film tourism reads as; “(…)
tourist visits to a destination or attraction as a result of the destination being featured on
television, video, DVD or the cinema screen” (Hudson & Ritchie, 2005, p. 256).
However, simply showing a location in a movie does not automatically mean that there
is a destination marketing purpose involved. Hudson and Ritchie (ibid) claim that there are so
called film-specific factors that will determine whether a film will result in destination
marketing. For instance, the storyline needs to be clearly connected to the site, where the
audience is emotionally engaged in the story, which they link to the destination. Further, the
destination needs to be captured authentically in the film in order to generate marketing effects
(Hudson & Ritchie, 2016, p. 257). A destination may, according to Soteriades (2012), be
defined as; “(…) a ‘series of experiences’ achieved through the combination of a diverse range
of products and services” (p. 108). Based on this definition, destinations may be regarded as
providers of experiences (Hudson & Ritchie, 2005, p. 258). A case in which destination
marketing has proved efficient is the production behind the Wallander film series. The case
may be regarded as an optimal case to explore if aiming to gain a deeper understanding about
the relational dynamics created when producing destination marketing through film.
The Wallander series were produced in the municipality of Ystad and started shooting
in the year of 2003. When an old military anti-aircraft hall was transformed into Ystad Studios,
the small municipality in southern Sweden went from a fishing village to a film city (Adlander
et al., 2016, p. 5). According to Ystad’s project developer Adlander, Ystad Studios represents
the municipality’s base for creative infrastructure and might even be regarded as the engine of
a film hub. Following the production of Wallander, more than 90 productions have been shot
in the Ystad region between the years of 2004-2016 (Adlander et al., 2016, p. 6) – a project (the
Wallander film series) generating revenues of around 50 million SEK for Ystad municipality
(13 million SEK invested) (Adlander et al., 2016, p. 9). The Wallander-series are products of
Swedish author Henning Mankell’s famous books. In 1991, the first of Mankell’s books was
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released. Since then, a total of 30 million copies translated into 40 languages have been sold in
100 countries (Adlander et al., 2016, p. 8).
Beside film-specific factors, destination marketing requires excellence in relationship
initiation. A film company has to interact successfully with local authorities in order for the
film to become a reality. Further, the financial sponsors that back up the project need to be kept
in the picture. Film making is done in projects, pulling together team members for a specific
period. These team members have to interact with local interests that represent the destination.
This includes publicly appointed staff, meaning that elections suddenly can change who is
representing the destination. This often leads to a rather fluid environment, where exceptional
demands are put on relationship management. In order to understand as much as possible in
terms of how relationship dynamics are created in destination marketing, the thesis has been
limited to primarily explore the initiating phase of creating relationships. Given that the studied
film production represents a project-based case, an understanding of the initiating phase of
relationships may help in order to distinguish potential patterns in the relationships created.
Limited research has been done when it comes to exploring which potential factors that impact
the process of initiating relationships. In order to truly understand the initiating phase of a
relationship, one may turn to drivers and drawbacks, later referred to as converters and
inhibitors, as they represent the factors that ultimately impact the process of initiating
relationships. Edvardson et al. (2008) state that three main conclusions can be drawn from
previous studies dedicated to relationship-initiation; firstly, the initiation process in itself has
not traditionally received too much attention, but has rather been depicted as the initiating step
of the life cycle of a relationship. Secondly, little focus is directed to explaining why
relationships moves from one phase to another, but rather on illustrating detailed descriptions
of the separate phases in the relationship process. Thirdly, the time dimension of relationships
as well as reasons behind change receive little focus in studies made so far on the subject (p.
341). Thus, they encourage further studies upon the subject of initiating relationships in a
business context.
1.1 Main Purpose
The main purpose of this thesis is therefore to investigate how the process of initiating
relationships looks when creating destination marketing through film. The parties studied are
the parties involved in the initiating phase of the relationships established when creating the
Wallander film series. More specifically, the studied parties are the film production company
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Yellow Bird as well as parties tied to the destination for the production, Ystad municipality and
Film i Skåne, later referred to as regional authorities. The thesis will follow a case study of the
production of the Wallander film series back in 2003. The thesis aims to capture the main
converters and inhibitors in the process of initiating relationships when creating destination
marketing, as these factors have not received much attention in previous research. By mapping
out the factors affecting the initiating phase of relationships, this study may provide insights
into the process of creating destination marketing through film. Given that this kind of
marketing is expected to grow strongly, it is relevant to understand the underlying mechanisms
that may impact the relationships created during the time of a specific project, as the success of
the projects are believed to highly depend on the smoothness of initiating new relationships.
1.2 Research Gap
This thesis includes points of contribution to theoretical concepts regarding the initiation
process of relationships within a business context. I set out to contribute to Edvardsson et al.’s
(2008) model of the relationship initiation process for business-to-business professional
services by illustrating how the model may apply to a specific situation in a specific context.
Currently, the model depicts a process between two parties, taking place in an abstract situation
with an undefined context. By developing the concepts of converters and inhibitors in a defined,
specific context, one may not only gain a deeper understanding of the factors’ meaning, but one
may also increase one’s awareness of the relationships created when creating destination
marketing. Most research made so far on business relationships carry out a wider, more
extended research focus, whereas this study is limited to simply focus on the initiating phase of
the relationship, initiated within a certain context at a certain time – the Wallander series, which
started their productions in the year of 2003.
1.3 Research Question
Serving this purpose, the following research question has been proposed: What converters and
inhibitors may characterize the process of initiating relationships when producing destination
marketing through film?
1.4 Structure of Analysis
The results from the case study are based on seven in-depth interviews with key individuals of
the case of the Wallander film productions. The informants represent the people who were
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directly involved in the initiating phase of the relationships created in the production – both on
the regional side and the film production company side. However, two key figures were
impossible to get hold of since they are no longer alive – Henning Mankell and his agent Lars
Björkman. It would have been most interesting to get their perspectives, in addition to those
already given from the film production company’s side. In order to analyse the relational
dynamics of the case, four theoretical concepts have been used. Firstly, Dwyer et al.’s (1987)
model of The Relationship Development Process is used in order to get a basic understanding
of how a relationship may be initiated. Secondly, Edvarson et al.’s (2008) model of The Process
of Initiating Relationships, similar to the model presented by Dwyer et al. (1987), is used in
order to understand what factors that might contribute in driving a relationship forwards,
backwards, versus get the process stuck. These factors are referred to as converters and
inhibitors, factors that will be frequently be referred to in this thesis. Thirdly, Andersson et al.’s
(1994) thoughts on Connected Relations & Business Networks have been used in order to gain
a broader perspective on a network perspective relevant to this case. Finally, Candance Jones’
(1996) report on “Careers in Project Networks: The Case of the Film Industry” is used in order
to gain insight into project networks, which clearly characterize the relationships established
when creating destination marketing.
2. Theoretical Framework
In the following section, an overview of the theoretical framework is presented in section 2.1,
two theoretical models on the process of initiating relationships are then described in section
2.2 and 2.2.1. In section 2.3, theoretical concepts on networks are presented, followed by more
detailed descriptions of each of them in 2.3.1 and 2.3.2. Finally, the analysis model is presented
in 2.4.
2.1 Overview of Research Field
The research framework of this thesis is founded on two blocks of theoretical principles: the
first block concerns the initiating process of relationships; the second block includes concepts
regarding networks including a network perspective specific to the filmmaking industry. The
theoretical concept that has acted as the main source of research and starting point for this thesis
is represented by Edvardson et al.’s (2008) model of The Process of Initiating Relationships.
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2.2 Initiating Business Relationships
In this section, two main theoretical concepts have been used due to their relevance for this
thesis as well as their extensive dominance and frequent referrals within the literature of the
initiation process of relationships. The first reference, Dwyer et al. (1987), present a relationship
development process - a theory that has been cited more than 1496 times from Business Source
Premier’s (2017) data base. The second reference is Edvardsson et al. (2008) and their theory
showing the process of initiating relationships – a theory that has stemmed from the theoretical
principles presented by Dwyer et al. (1987).
2.2.1 Two Similar Views on the Process of Initiating Relationships
According to Dwyer, Schurr and Oh (1987), most research made historically has treated buyerseller exchanges as discrete events rather than as ongoing relationships, a perspective they claim
is a vital omission in the development of marketing knowledge. Ongoing business relationships
are expressed in many different ways (Dwyer et al., 1987, p. 11). Transactions must be regarded
in light of their history and anticipated future, where conditions for future cooperation may be
supported by assumptions, trust and planning (Dwyer et al., 1987, p. 12). Dwyer et al.’s (1987)
theory proposes that relationships evolve through five stages or phases, where each phase is
regarded as a substantial transition in how parties view each other. The five phases are; (1)
awareness, (2) exploration, (3) expansion, (4) commitment and (5) dissolution (Dwyer et al.,
1987, p. 15). The phase relevant to this thesis is merely the first phase – the initiating phase of
the relationship, “Awareness,” which will be presented below.
Phase 1. Awareness: represents the first, initiating state of a relationship – a state that begins
when party A recognizes that party B is a feasible exchange partner. Awareness is regarded as
a unilateral, pre-exchange process (p. 20). Here, situational proximity is regarded as a
facilitating factor – this could be in terms of localization but also frequent versus rare exposure
in media. In phase 1, interaction has not transpired. However, parties may be positioning and
posturing themselves to enhance their respective exclusiveness to potential partners (p. 15).
Three factors appear especially important in the development process of relationships, mainly
trust, commitment and disengagement (p. 22).
A similar perspective on the process of initiating relationships is presented by
Edvardsson, Holmlund and Sandvik (2008), whose research indicates that relationships form in
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many ways (p. 342). They explain how relationship initiation starts when the parties in a
potential relationship recognize each other and ends when the business agreement has been
reached. By the time the business agreement has been reached, the initiation process is ended
and replaced by the start of a business relationship (p. 340). Edvardsson et al. (2008) proposed
a model in 2008 illustrating the relationship initiation process for business-to-business
professional services (see Fig. 1) (Edvardsson et al., 2008, p. 342).
Fig. 1. A model of relationship initiation process for business-to-business professional services
The model proposes that there are three different types of status in the initiation process of a
relationship. The first type of status is referred to the unrecognized status, a situation in which
the parties don’t know each other; the buyer doesn’t recognize the seller. This unrecognized
type of status transforms into a recognized status as a one – or two-sided awareness has been
established between the two parties, recognizing potential opportunities that the relationship
can bring. Finally, the recognized status turns into a considered status when the parties codevelop and discuss the motives and extent of the task’s obligations (p. 343). The process’
dynamics is believed to develop and move between the three states, possibly forward and
backwards, driven by Converters and Inhibitors (C/I). The arrows surrounding “C/I” show how
the process may be driven in both ways, a movement called the converter effect (p. 342). These
converters may speed up or slow down the process of initiating a relationship (p. 345). There
is however also factors that may force the development process to get stuck from developing
for an undetermined length of time, called inhibitors (p. 346). The process is not to be regarded
as a life cycle since it may start wherever in the process and stick there in an unlimited amount
of time – rather, the movements in the process will be determined by how well the
communication and co-operation between the parties plays out (p. 347). In order to apply the
initiation process of developing relationships to the project of the Wallander film production, it
is essential to first understand the circumstances in which these relationships may be initiated.
A film production represents a project in which many actors cooperate, usually involved in a
network structure (Jones, 1996). Thus, it is relevant to understand the fundamental traces of
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thoughts on what actually constitutes a network, and how networks usually form within the film
industry in order to put the create context around the initiating process of relationships and
understand their development.
2.3 Networks
Below please find a brief description of relationships from the perspective of business networks.
2.3.1 Connected Relations & Business Networks
When aiming to understand business relationships, Håkansson and Johanson (1994) claim that
one must first direct attention towards the embedded contexts within which these relationships
are initiated. Put more specifically, the authors are especially interested in highlighting the
connections between a firm’s dyadic relations (a relationship between only two parties). One
of the trends within this area of research is referred to as the “virtual corporation.” The term is
used to explain a temporary network of parties organized around a certain business opportunity,
which only lasts until the end of this opportunity. In order to explain trends such as these
conceptually, Anderson et al. (1994) claim that one must change focus from dyadic business
relationships to instead highlight business networks. Networks may in term be regarded as
“(…) sets of connected relationships between firms” (Anderson et al., 1994, p. 1). The authors
emphasize that one should not deny the interface between the firm and its environment (p. 2).
To continue, Anderson et al. (1994) define business networks with the following words; “(…)
a set of two or more connected business relationships, in which each exchange relation is
between business firms that are conceptualized as collective actors,” (Anderson et al., 1994, p.
2). Further, connections within relationships may occur both directly and indirectly within a
larger business network (Anderson et al., 1994, p. 2). The concept is further expressed in a
Figure 1 in Appendix.
If regarding a firm as an actor employing resources and performing activities, the
purpose of business relationships may be explained with respect to three categories of
components, namely; actors, activities and resources. Within this view, there are further
primary and secondary (also called network) functions. By primary functions, Anderson et al.
(1994) refer to the potential positive or negative impacts an interaction may have on the actors
involved in the interaction of the focal dyadic relationship. Secondary functions on the other
hand, refer to the indirect positive or negative impacts of a relationship. In a given relationship,
the secondary functions may in fact play an equally important role as the primary functions in
influencing the relationship (p. 2-3). Anderson et al. (1994) summarize their points made above
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by stating; “Relationships are dyads, but the existence of the secondary functions means that
they are also parts of networks” (p. 3).
Another concept discussed by Anderson et al. (1994) is the notion of network horizons,
which help portray how extended an actor’s view of the network is. This notion communicates
that network boundaries are subjective and formed by previous experiences and perspectives
(Andersson et al., 1994, p. 4).
2.3.2 The Film Industry – A Network Organization
Candance Jones writes in her report “Careers in Project Networks: The Case of the Film
Industry” (1996) how the film industry has long been organized around projects rather than
circulated around traditional hierarchies and in-house human resource departments. Because of
this, the film industry is usually referred to as a network organization. The film industry is
created and re-created all the time – where people meet for specific projects, then diverge once
the project is finished, when new connections are created for upcoming projects (Jones, 1996,
p. 58). The industry can be seen as decentralized, coloured by social and boundary less careers,
which is vital in order for the network organization to work smoothly. Jones (1996) clarifies
that work is usually organized around a specific project rather than around a specific company
(Jones, 1996, p. 59). Continuously, these project networks are regarded as having two main
characteristics; firstly, the task is usually non-routinized and complex. This requires a high level
of mutual responsibility, or “team interdependence” as well as horizontal information flows in
order to help. Secondly, a project network often works in a dynamic, risky environment
characterized by unpredictability. Here, the industry must focus on triggering product
innovation and adaptation through using independent producers and networks where resources
may be reallocated smoothly within a network (Jones, 1996, p. 60).
2.4 Summary of Analysis Model
The analysis model for this thesis aims to capture how business relationships are initiated in
film productions producing destination marketing. Three levels of relationships may be initiated
in this context, all of which will be analysed in this thesis, namely: business relationships,
business networks and social networks. All of the relationships are studied in a project-based
environment. The aim is to identify which forces that act as converters versus inhibitors in the
process of initiating relationships in a project of destination marketing.
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3. Method
In this chapter, the selection of the research area is introduced in section 3.1, the selected
method is presented in section 3.2 and a motivation for the chosen film production in 3.3. The
selection of informants is presented in 3.4, data analysis is presented in 3.5. The section ends
with a discussion on validity and reliability in section 3.6.
3.1 Selection of Research Area
In order to start exploring this thesis, articles focused on business relationship research have
been used. Thoughts on the process of initiating relationships are represented in models
presented by Dwyer et al. (1987) and Edvardson et al. (2008). The motivation behind these two
references is that the articles represent strong, highly cited perspectives of research within this
field. In addition, concepts on networks are presented by Anderson et al. (1994) as well as by
Jones (1996). Although both of these articles were published two decades ago, they are still
considered relevant to this thesis due to their frequent referrals and significant conclusions.
While one perspective offers a broader concept on networks (Anderson et al., 1994), the other
(Jones, 1996) provides a slightly more context-based perspective on networks that allows for a
niche perspective to this thesis.
3.2 Selection of Method: A Qualitative Case Study
The research question concerns how relationships are initiated between the film industry and
regional authorities when creating destination marketing through film. More specifically, the
thesis explores a case study where Ystad municipality and the Wallander film series are at
focus. According to Saunders et al.’s definition (2016), a case study is a; “Research strategy
that involves the empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its
real-life context, using multiple sources of evidence (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 711). The case
study follows an exploratory approach, based on an inductive approach portraying a single case.
Saunders et al. (2016) clarify that a case study is an in-depth inquiry into a phenomenon within
its real-life setting. According to Saunders et al. (2016), a case study aims to understand the
dynamics of a topic within its setting or context (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 184) – in this case to
understand which converters and inhibitors that may characterize the process of initiating
relationships when creating destination marketing. Understanding context is key in order to
perform a case study. Though case study as a method has been criticized for the risk of
misunderstandings regarding the possibility to generalise contributions to knowledge, though
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several studies have responded to this criticism by showing otherwise (p. 185). An action taken
in order to minimize this risk is represented by clear communication of the particulars of the
context in which this thesis is explored (the Wallander film production), consequently being
clear about the limitations for generalisations. Further, this case study follows a qualitative
approach which, according to Saunders et al. (2016), may be defined with the following words:
“Qualitative research studies participants’ meanings and the relationships between them, using
a variety of data collection techniques and analytical procedures, to develop a conceptual
framework and theoretical contribution” (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 168).
3.3 Choice of Film Production
There are several reasons for the motivation behind the choice of studying the Wallander film
production in particular. First, the fact that Ystad municipality represents a rather small town is
believed to facilitate the process of studying the case. Not only are the consequences of the film
productions evident in a small town like Ystad, but the relationships and people involved are
believed to be fewer as well. When studying the production of the Wallander films from the
municipality’s perspective, one need to know about two people initially – the two City Council
candidates Thomas Lantz and Kent Mårtensson. Lantz is the representative for the Moderates
(M) while Mårtenson is the representative from the Social Democratic party (S) – meaning that,
along the years, the two of them have taken turns of guarding the post and have thus both been
involved in the Wallander productions (Rundqvist, 2016). However, being a small town has
enabled for a tradition where political nests within the municipality tend to cooperate across
borders, which was the case for Mårtensson and Lantz (Lantz, 2016). A third person to know
of when exploring this case is Ystad municipality’s Film Strategist Petra Rundqvist. Rundqvist
works full time on aiming to attract new filmmakers to Ystad municipality (Rundqvist, 2016).
Before Rundqvist was recruited, the regional director usually dealt with business relationships
associated with filmmaking projects in the region. The regional director at the time when the
first Wallander series were shot was Carl-Johan Korsås (Lantz, 2016). The fact that Ystad is a
small town has facilitated the process of reaching these key people.
Secondly, the CEO of the regional film fund for the production of Wallander has
kept his position since the start of the Wallander productions. Getting access to the people who
were actually directly involved in the start of the production back in 2003 was considered to be
a key term in order to generate a relevant, correct perception of the relationships initiated at that
time. The regional film fund relevant to this case is Film i Skåne. The fund has been operating
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since 1995, though became the fund it is today in 2001. From that year, the fund started to
support feature films with the aim to operate as co-producers for films and tv-series. Since the
fund started, Ralf Ivarsson has been the CEO of Film i Skåne (Ivarsson, 2016).
Thirdly, the fact that Yellow Bird as a production company was initially started
based on the purpose of producing the first Wallander series was considered advantageous, as
that fact was believed to indicate a high degree of commitment from the production company’s
side, and add weight to the specific project of the Wallander production. The company was
established in 2003 and the first series were shot in 2004. The company was founded by Danish
producer Ole Sondberg, Swedish author Henning Mankell, and Mankell’s agent Lars
Björkman. Of these three, only Ole Sondberg is still alive (Gylling, 2016). Sondberg was
involved in all productions except for the last three (Sondberg, 2016). At the time of the startup, Sondberg already had a company in Copenhagen called Earlybird Films, while Mankell in
turn had his own company called Yellow Horse. So when the two partners decided to start their
own production company, they chose to compromise and call their new firm Yellow Bird
(Gylling, 2016). Along the years, Yellow Bird has built up to become a successful company,
leading in what they do. After a few years of operation, Yellow Bird bought the rights to the
renowned Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series and soon began the process of
developing them into movies. After the success of the Millennium films, in the year of 2007,
Yellow Bird was acquired by Zodiak Television. The Wallander series were finished shooting
one year before the acquisition (Gylling, 2016).
3.4 Selection of Informants
In order to perform this case study, data have been collected from primary sources through
interviews, as well as from published articles. Informants have been chosen based on a snowball
sample (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 619). Snowball sampling is a type of volunteer sampling and
is commonly used when it is hard to identify members of the required population. An obvious
difficulty when conducting snowball sampling is making initial contact. Once initial contact
has been established, one can continue through guidance from your interviewees as for who
you ought to contact next – a snowball effect is created (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 303).
Using sampling techniques enables the researcher to simply consider the data
relevant to the thesis rather than including all potential cases or elements (Saunders et al., 2016,
p. 272). As suitable for case studies, the method follows a non-probability sampling method.
Non-probability sampling, or non-random sampling, offers a wide range of potential techniques
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to choose from when selecting one’s sample. Most of them include some sort of subjective
judgement (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 295). In this case, the subjective judgement is made based
on the degree of involvement in the initiating phase of the relationships established in the
Wallander film productions. More specifically, the people who appeared to have been directly
involved from the start of the film projects have been contacted and interviewed – resulting in
seven, semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The minimum sample size for this nature of
study is 5-25 people, according to Saunders et al. (2016, p. 297). The choice of using in-depth,
semi-structured interviews derives from the fact that the study includes exploratory elements,
where it helps to establish a personal contact with the interviewees, who most certainly will
find the topic interesting and relevant to their work (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 394). However,
due to limited resources in relation to the geographical spread of the respondents (most of them
situated in the far southern parts of Sweden), all interviews except for one (Yellow Bird’s CoFounder Ole Sondberg, who have been interviewed ‘face-to-face’) have been conducted
through telephone interviews. Stated by Saunders et al. (2016), conducting in-depth, semistructured interviews by telephone provides advantages such as speed, access and lower cost.
However, there are also disadvantages associated with interviews conducted by telephone. For
instance, the process of interpreting reactions and meanings is complicated since not getting the
visual expression nor the personal, physical contact one might have experienced in a physical
meeting. Thus, it becomes especially important to focus on establishing trust and an open
climate in this exploratory discussion so that the interviewee feels comfortable with the
interview format. If this trust isn’t established, one might experience issues of reduced
reliability in the interviewees’ responses (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 421). In order to minimize
this risk, the interviewees are first approached by a few introductory emails stating the purpose
and structure for this thesis. This is later followed by a few, simple opening questions in the
actual interview in order to “warm-up” the informant, aiming to make him or her feel
comfortable in the interview format and establish trust. To facilitate the process of analysing
the data acquired, the interviews have been recorded after approval from the interviewee. A
short presentation of the participating informants is stated below.
Yellow Bird – Co-Founder & Producer Ole Sondberg
Three people were founders of the production company Yellow Bird in 2003 – producer Ole
Sondberg was one of them. Together with author Henning Mankell and Mankell’s agent Lars
Björkman, they started the company with the purpose of producing the Wallander film series.
Today, Sondberg is regarded as a highly respected and experienced producer, having produced
14
famous films and tv-series such as Beck, Irene Huss, Annika Bengtzon and Stieg Larsson’s
Millenium series (Gylling, 2016).
Yellow Bird – (Executive) Film Producer Daniel Gylling
Producer Daniel Gylling has worked as a producer at the Swedish production company Yellow
Bird since the year of 2004, when the first Wallander production started shooting in Ystad. In
other words, Daniel has been involved more or less from the start of the Wallander-productions,
where he’s acted as producer for the Swedish productions of Wallander, and executive producer
and the one responsible from Yellow Bird’s side on the British BBC version of the series.
Gylling has held the closest day-to-day contact with Ystad municipality and Film i Skåne
(Gylling, 2016).
Ystad Municipality – Current City Counsler Kent Mårtensson
Kent Mårtensson was the City Counsler representing the Social Democrats in Ystad
municipality at the time when Yellow Bird approached Ystad municipality – a position he
currently possesses as well. Over the years of the Wallander film productions, Mårtensson
shared this post with Thomas Lantz. Despite differing political views, the two candidates shared
the interest and engagement in the projects, and cooperated over the years (Mårtensson, 2016).
Ystad Municipality – Former City Counsler Thomas Lantz
Thomas Lantz acted as City Counsler representing the Moderates (conservatives) during the
years of the start of the Wallander productions, a role he left in 2009. Together with the Social
Democratic representative for the post, Kent Mårtensson, he shared the ultimate responsibility
from Ystad municipality’s side in taking vital decisions regarding funds and terms for the
production of the series. Lantz is currently positioned as the director of Ystad’s Theatre and has
no political responsibilities (Lantz, 2016).
Ystad Municipality – Former Municipality Director Carl-Johan Korsås
Before the year of 2009, when Ystad municipality hadn’t established the role of a film strategist
(Petra Rundqvist’s position, see below), these errands went straight to the municipality’s City
Director – Carl-Johan Korsås. Korsås acted as the municipality director between the September
2003-September 2006 and was thus the person who received the ultimate, first contact with
Sondberg, Mankell and Björkman from the municipality’s side. Korsås left the position in 2006,
and currently works as a City Director for the municipality of Jönköping (Korsås, 2016).
15
Ystad Municipality – Film Strategist Petra Rundqvist
Petra Rundqvist acts as Ystad’s Film Strategist – a role including responsibilities in upholding
Ystad’s goal of being a film city. Rundqvist was the first person to be given this title seven
years ago. The role was created when the municipality realized that they couldn’t catch up with
all the film productions that took place in the municipality (Rundqvist, 2016).
Film i Skåne – CEO Ralf Ivarsson
Film i Skåne is a regional film fund operating from Ystad since the year of 1995. Ralf Ivarsson
was present from the start of the fund and has been the CEO, managing director and head of
production of the fund since the year of 2001. In the year of 2001, the fund was introduced as
a limited company – before then, the fund had been operating as a non-profit association. After
the year of 2001, Film i Skåne got contributions with the purpose of supporting and being able
to act as co-producers for feature films and tv-series. Since the year of 2000, Film i Skåne has
been co-producers in over 80 feature films, 15 tv-series and 600 short/documentaries. When
committing to the Wallander production, Film i Skåne decided to move their facilities from
Malmö to Ystad (Ivarsson, 2016).
3.5 Data Analysis
As the study has been conducted using qualitative data, analysis and interpretation of data has
occurred during its collection as well as after it (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 619). The stories and
responses shared in the interviews have formed the base of analysis for this thesis. However,
the interviews have also exposed other, less evident factors that have been analysed as well.
Examples of these include the tone used by the informant, what he or she can or cannot
remember, if the informant’s attitude shifts when speaking of different people involved in the
initiating phase of the relationships created and other factors requiring more subjective analysis.
3.6 Reliability & Validity of the Study
In this section, issues of reliability and validity are discussed as they may impact on the level
of quality for this thesis. By reliability one refers to consistency and replication, which
essentially means that a thesis will be regarded as reliable as long as a researcher is able to
replicate an earlier research design and end up with the same findings (Saunders et al., 2016, p.
202). In order to add reliability to this thesis, a thorough description of the methods used in
16
order to carry out this case study has been declared. Validity on the other hand, is defined as;
“(…) the appropriateness of the measures used, accuracy of the analysis of the results and
generalisation of the findings” (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 202). However, Saunders et al. (2016)
further claims that while validity measurements are suitable for quantitative studies, they may
be considered inappropriate for qualitative studies, following a more interpretive philosophy,
where one views reality as something multifaceted and socially constructed. Qualitative studies
may not always have the purpose of being replicated as they possibly aim to capture social
constructions tied to a specific context at a specific time (Saunders et al., 2016, p. 205).
Although this thesis is based on a qualitative approach including subjective measures, it might
be that future researchers find interest in replicating the methods used in this thesis in order to
carry out a similar study for a different case. It is thus considered relevant to provide an
awareness of the concepts behind reliability and validity.
4. Empiri: Results
A summary and overview of the empiric results gained from the case study and interviews are
depicted in a graphic model in figure 3 below.
4.1 The Initiation Process of the Relationships
4.1.1 Yellow Bird approach Film i Skåne and Ystad Municipality
In the year of 2003, Kent Mårtensson (S) acted as the City Counsler of Ystad municipality,
Carl-Johan Korsås was Ystad Municipality Director and Ralf Ivarsson held his position as the
CEO of Film i Skåne. After conducting the interviews, it appears that the CEO of Film i Skåne,
Ivarsson, was the first person to be approached by Yellow Bird. As Film i Skåne’s CEO recalls,
he starts by explaining that; “In 2002, we were involved in the production of a film called
“Tinke,” a Danish/Swedish film, where the executive producer’s name was Peter Bose. It was
Peter who gave me a call in the summer of 2003, because at that time he acted as one of the
producers at Yellow Bird“ (Ivarsson, 2016). Film i Skåne’s CEO Ivarsson believes that Yellow
Bird initially put Bose forward since he had worked with Ivarsson before – after cooperating in
the production of Tinke, Bose and Ivarsson were already involved in a business relationship. In
that call, Bose asked Film i Skåne’s CEO if he would be willing to help them kick off the
regional financing for the Wallander project. A meeting was scheduled (Ivarsson, 2016).
In terms of how a first meeting such as the one described usually go about, Yellow
Bird’s Film Producer Gylling clarifies that it generally becomes the most important determining
17
moment in deciding whether or not one will proceed with the process of initiating a relationship
or not; “It’s during the first meeting where you sort of ‘scan off’ the other party and try to get
an impression of whether this person is positively engaged and receptive towards the project
or not. You usually get a response to that feeling rather quickly” (Gylling, 2016). In this
meeting, the production company sort of sell their project, pitch their idea, and clarify their
financial needs to the other party. In the case of Ystad and the Wallander series, Yellow Bird’s
Film Producer means that the pitching-process was slightly facilitated by the fact that Ystad
already had experienced parts of the film tourism effects thanks to the books, and thus
understood Yellow Bird’s selling points more quickly and saw potential in launching a film
(Gylling, 2016). Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder Sondberg agrees, stating that author Mankell had
already sold 30 million books in Sweden and 50 million books in Germany at this time,
concluding that the success of the books clearly helped them at this stage (Sondberg, 2016).
So, in the meeting that followed including Bose and Film i Skåne’s CEO, it soon
became clear that Yellow Bird (through Bose) were asking for 15 million SEK in order to get
started with the production – something that initially came as quite a shock to Film i Skåne’s
CEO and the municipality (Ivarsson, 2016). Yellow Bird soon continued by contacting the
people on top of the municipality’s hierarchy in order to get clarity in their financial funding
situation (Sondberg, 2016). Though this time, they sent forward Mankell’s agent Lars Björkman
accompanied by a man named Ulf Johansson – a politician from Simrishamn, who had
experience of communicating with (and convincing) other politicians. Ystad’s municipality
counsler Mårtensson remembers; “At the time, the municipality was in a slightly pressured
position, we had a deficit… only the day before Björkman and Johansson came and knocked
on my door, we had been discussing how to initiate savings plans and such,” Mårtensson
chuckles. So when Yellow Bird expressed that they would need around 15 million SEK, Ystad’s
municipality counsler Mårtensson’s initial answer was “Are you kidding me?” But Yellow Bird
was not joking. So the municipality started discussing what they actually could offer, realizing
the potential gains of initiating the projects; “We started asking if we could offer them (Yellow
Bird) offices here in Ystad,” Ystad’s municipality counsler Mårtensson explains, and so the
municipality initially helped Yellow Bird to establish themselves physically on the location
(Mårtensson, 2016). At the time, Ystad’s former municipality counsler Lantz was a part of a
cooperation committee surrounding Mårtensson (who acted as the current municipality
counsler), and thus not primarily responsible from the municipality’s side of the relationship
(Lantz, 2016).
18
As Ystad’s former municipality director Korsås tries to remember how it all started,
he quickly recalls the politician Ulf Johansson. Korsås claims that Johansson influenced the
two municipality counslers (Mårtensson and Lantz) greatly, and made it clear that in order for
this to happen, all actors needed to be included in raising the co-financing. The former
municipality director of Ystad recalls; “It was around here that I truly came into the picture.
From my previous position at the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation I was used to
negotiating, and saw directly that… this was a very new way of thinking in Ystad, one had never
done anything like this before – co-financed this type of projects, it felt quite elusive in the
beginning, ‘who were Yellow Bird’ and so on. (…) Today, the thought of co-financing film
projects in Ystad is very natural and straight forward, but back then there were no previous
experience of these type of projects” (Korsås, 2016). The former Municipality Director of Ystad
explains that from his experience at the ministry, it possibly became more natural for him to
see the bigger picture, and realized the actual potential in a project with such a strong concept
to Ystad municipality. The former municipality director of Ystad clarifies that he contributed
with his negotiating skills at the meetings that later followed, and says; “I contributed in getting
people on the municipality side to realize that this was a huge opportunity” (Korsås, 2016).
4.1.2 Chasing Financial Funds Engages Actors Outside of Ystad Municipality
Thus began the process of hunting financiers – Film i Skåne’s CEO Ivarsson explains that in
the discussions that followed, all who could help were included; though Film i Skåne were the
ones with the concrete responsibility in actually collecting the funds. At this time, Ivarsson
remembers a cooperative committee called Southeast Skåne’s Cooperation Committee
(Sydöstra Skånes Samarbetskommitté), also called “SÖSK” including the following Swedish
regions: Skurup, Sjöbo, Tomellilla, Simrishamn and Ystad. Ivarsson explains; “After several
discussions, I managed to convince all these regions to co-finance the project” (Ivarsson,
2016). All in all, SÖSK contributed with 2.75 million SEK. Next, Film i Skåne’s CEO went to
the banking sector in the region. Here, the CEO wants to emphasize the importance of the actor
“Sparbanken Syds Stiftelse” – the South Savings Bank Foundation – who, looking back, may
be regarded as the great benefactor in financing the project. At this time, the foundation was
driven by Anders Berglind, which was the person that Film i Skåne’s CEO approached.
Berglind soon realized the huge potential in the project and acted by gathering representatives
from all other savings banks in the region to a meeting in which Film i Skåne’s CEO explained
the nature of the project. Soon, other banks were intrigued to contribute, and Film i Skåne’s
CEO managed to clear another 4.5 million SEK from the foundation. In addition to this
19
contribution, Ivarsson was able to secure a final contribution of 1.75 million SEK from Skåne’s
Project Support. Finally, Film i Skåne themselves contributed with a whole 9 million SEK, thus
Film i Skåne’s CEO and the municipality of Ystad were able to offer Yellow Bird 13 million
SEK - which appeared to be enough for Yellow Bird (Ivarsson, 2016). With funding in place,
“That’s when the cooperation truly started,” Ystad’s municipality counsler Mårtensson claims
(Mårtensson, 2016). Ystad’s Film Strategist Petra Rundqvist confirms to this fact as well,
stating that; “Very few will film here (in Ystad) if it wasn’t for the money. The cooperation starts
once the money is put on the table. It’s all about money,” Film Strategist Rundqvist states
(Rundqvist, 2016). Two years after the relationship was initiated, the moderates won the
Swedish election and Ystad’s former City Counsler Lantz replaced Mårtensson - now, Lantz
became primarily involved in the project (Lantz, 2016). The 13 million SEK investment later
gave Ystad municipality a payoff of around 50 million SEK through regional goods and
services (Adlander et al., 2016, p. 9). Reports made by the municipality show that for each
krona (SEK) invested, at least four came back in return (Adlander et al., 2016, p. 48) – for more
specific figures, please see appendix.
4.1.3 Specifying the Terms of the Relationships
In terms of what the actual agreements were made up of, Yellow Bird’s Film Producer Gylling
clarifies that although there may be informal, more specific agreements in projects surrounding
destination marketing, the deal between Yellow Bird, Ystad municipality and Film i Skåne
turned out rather simple in its characteristics. The informal agreements that Yellow Bird’s Film
Producer refers to could include discount offerings by the municipality on regional services
(such as hotel costs) in exchange for the production company showing pieces of these services
(ex a location) in the film. Though in the case of Ystad and Wallander, the movie was shot
almost exclusively in Ystad and so there were no need to state agreements regarding how many
minutes for a minimum that needed to be shot there in order for Yellow Bird to get funds.
However, Yellow Bird’s Producer clarifies that as a production company, you will need to show
that you’ve been in the region – you can not pretend to be some place else. Other than that,
there are also agreements about spending – producer Gylling states; “(…) If you get one million
funded, you might be required to spend 2-3 million in the region – so that money are placed
within the region and no place else” (Gylling, 2016). The region is supposed to get money back
through the production by buying services and employing their local personnel. The regional
funds are to be seen as co-producers – meaning that they get parts of the movies’ revenues.
Yellow Bird’s Producer summarizes the agreement from the perspective of a production
20
company as follows – there are three requirements usually involved in the deal; first, a certain
amount of the movie need to be filmed within the region from which you get funded, secondly
– you cannot pretend to be someplace else, and finally – let the regional fund be a co-producer
of the movie. Conclusively, the project is to be seen as an investment from the region’s side.
All parties are supposed to win on the cooperation (Gylling, 2016).
4.1.4 The Project Up and Running – What Happens Next?
Soon the project was up and running. Thinking back, the former Municipality Director of Ystad
remembers his first meeting with Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder Sondberg, explaining that; “Ole
and I had a great relationship, we had a lot of confidence in each other.” After the series were
launched, Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder Sondberg soon went to London to meet with BBC and
discussed the potential development of a British TV version of the series. The former
Municipality Director of Ystad remembers how Sondberg, when coming back, went straight to
his office and said; “Now let’s do the same thing all over again Carl-Johan” (Korsås, 2016).
Although, the former Municipality Director of Ystad (Korsås) is most proud over the fact that
already before the productions were launched, he made sure that the Swedish tourism
organization Visit Sweden were attached to the project. As opposed to for instance Film i Väst
and their success when producing films in Trollhättan, the regional film fund over there never
really managed to transfer that success into tourism visits since they didn’t establish a tourism
strategy. The former Municipality Director of Ystad states; “Though in the case of Wallander,
it felt important to have a marketing strategy in place,” in order to make the most out of the
increased tourism. The former Municipality Director of Ystad wanted to make sure that Ystad
were prepared. So he contacted the CEO of Visit Sweden, a person he knows personally since
long, and went up to Stockholm to pitch the idea. However, Visit Sweden couldn’t offer Ystad
municipality money, but they could offer co-workers and competence. Consequently, they
reached an agreement in which The former Municipality Director of Ystad promised Visit
Sweden to gather a few sponsorships and co-financing from the regions Southeast of Skåne,
given that Visit Sweden prepared tourism activities upon launching the series. The tourism
industry was prepared for a new kind of visits (Korsås, 2016).
21
Figure 3. The Initiation Process of Relationships when Producing the Wallander Films (2003)
The figure above represents the results given by the empirical results and simply serves to
demonstrate the complex structure of the initiating process of relationships in the production
behind the Wallander film series. The figure is meant to demonstrate the great amount of parties
included in the process, as well as underline the importance of the regional film fund. As shown
in the figure, the regional film fund may be regarded as a mediating party between the film
production company and the municipality. This is largely due to the financial power the fund
acquires, being the party that collects most of the financial funds.
4.2 Converters & Inhibitors in the Process of Initiating the Relationships
4.2.1 The Process Facilitated due to Receptivity, Enthusiasm & Flat Hierarchies
As for converters and inhibitors driving the process of initiating the relationships forward,
backward, or not at all, Yellow Bird states the following. Motivation and receptivity were vital
factors when initiating the relationships to Ystad municipality and Film i Skåne. Yellow Bird’s
Film Producer Gylling states; “When filming on a small location like Ystad, it’s incredibly
important that you (the production company) have the municipality with you on board, that
they are open and welcoming towards the project so that you can get help with things such as
getting access to certain spots within the municipality and film on these locations – here Ystad
made a great job in making us feel welcome“ (Gylling, 2016). The Film Producer explains how
Yellow Bird, Film i Skåne and Ystad municipality had a lot of discussions with both political
22
sides of the board, stating that; “We have had both sides with us. So in that kind of sense it’s
been quite a good municipality to deal with since the two political sides have been agreeing a
lot with each other – we haven’t experienced too much drama… Both political sides have had
a very positive attitude towards us filming in Ystad” (Gylling, 2016). Yellow Bird’s CoFounder Sondberg agrees with Producer Gylling, expressing that the flat hierarchical structure
helped a lot; “You would simply knock on their door,” Co-Founder Sondberg states, which
facilitated the initiation process of the relationships greatly (Sondberg, 2016).
Further, Yellow Bird’s Film Producer Gylling claims that striving for a mutual
understanding was key in order to communicate well and create a positive energy towards the
project. The Film Producer clarifies that in terms of initiating relations in such a small city, a
great project such as the Wallander series actually becomes quite a big deal to locals, where
they had to shut down streets and so on; “Here, Ystad was fantastic in keeping close
communication with local businesses, landlords and companies in informing them about the
benefits that these film projects may have to them, both directly and indirectly” (Gylling, 2016).
Yellow Bird’s Film Producer Gylling claims that the extensive efforts in communication were
key in order for the cooperation to work so smoothly; “It helps to have the local folks with you
as well, not just the authorities,” Gylling states. So Ystad’s ability to get locals on board
facilitated the process greatly for Yellow Bird (Gylling, 2016). Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder
Sondberg agrees, and remembers; “There was such a great positivity among the locals… it
wasn’t until after a few productions that they started to show less enthusiasm towards us
shooting there.” (Sondberg, 2016). Further, Yellow Bird’s Film Producer Gylling claims that
social chemistry and the existence of a visionary are further factors that affected the initiation
process of the relationships associated with the Wallander production. The region will need to
have an open mind in order to see the actual potential in a new project, to visualize its potential
results – as Gylling states; “(…) if there aren’t a lot of resources, you need to have a creative
mind and be a visionary in order to be open to these kind of projects.” (Gylling, 2016). Yellow
Bird did a substantial job in making sure that the municipality grasped the potential benefits of
the productions – but the effect turned out even better than their indications, which strengthened
the municipality’s trust in Yellow Bird even more. Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder Sondberg claims
that the success of the concept triggered attention; “It created a huge wave.” When asked if he
believes that this wave has made it easier for production companies to create these kinds of
productions today, he reflects, expressing that “In theory, it should. But you still have to explain
the positive impacts to rather sceptical politicians. You basically start from scratch every time”
(Sondberg, 2016). Co-Founder Sondberg further states that the projects also ended well and
23
were finished before the success of the series started to fade; “You should stop when you’ve still
got it” (Sondberg, 2016). Yellow Bird has not had contact with Ystad municipality after the
productions – Co-Founder Sondberg says; “Once it’s over, it’s over. And after almost twenty
years in Ystad, it actually feel kind of nice to leave and close the chapter” Sondberg chuckles
(Sondberg, 2016).
Furthermore, Yellow Bird’s Film Producer Gylling clarifies that other factors that
might have impacted the process of initiating relationships in the Wallander project were
general conditions in the region, and access to resources. The Film Producer clarifies that a
municipality need to be characterized by a fundamental harmony and stability in order to
appreciate that they can afford directing focus to anything but the most essential – “Sometimes
a municipality may ask themselves – are we going to recruit ten new nurses or invest in this
movie?” Producer Gylling exemplifies, so the municipality needs to be in a position in which
they can prioritize investing in film projects. Depending on these factors, the relationship may
move backwards, forwards or not at all according to Film Producer Gylling (Gylling, 2016).
Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder Sondberg adds to Film Producer Gylling’s list by stating that there
are also other, more simple factors that will determine the tone of the initiating process of a
relationship – such as the project’s success, and the amount of funds. He states; “There is no
producer who will schedule a production in Trollhättan because Trollhättan is fantastic,” but
rather it’s a funding decision, Co-Founder Sondberg means (Sondberg, 2016).
4.2.2 Structure, Trust & Mutual Respect: Impact on the Process
Continuously, Ystad’s Film Strategist Rundqvist states that further factors that appeared to have
acted as converters and inhibitors in the process of initiating relationships when producing the
Wallander film series were the following. First, she underlines personal chemistry and the
ability to be adaptive, structured and clear (Rundqvist, 2016). Ystad’s City Counsler
Mårtensson also highlights the personal aspect by lifting the importance of participants getting
to know each other a little bit, in order to establish trust. This trust could also be shown through
commitment, Ystad’s City Counsler Mårtensson means; “They (Yellow Bird) were seriously
involved in these projects,” Mårtensson states. He further claims that the municipality could
offer resources in terms of facilities and so on, which also facilitated the process (Mårtensson,
2016). It is key that the production company has a clear understanding of how the municipality
works and what they want. That there is mutual respect and that the actors keep their promises
in achieving projects that are equally beneficial to both parties. Ystad’s Film Strategist
Rundqvist expresses that they as a municipality sometimes have felt rather powerless when it
24
comes to accessing material and such once the production has left the sight – “I sometimes get
the impression that we are sort of supposed to be thankful that our small town is shown on TV.
It used to be enough, today it isn’t, only the production companies haven’t really understood
this” (Rundqvist, 2016).
Another key factor that will determine the smoothness of the process is whether
all actors are moving towards the same goal or not. If there is a mutual understanding in that all
parties may benefit from initiating these relationships, that “(…) it’s a give and take process. It
should be a win-win situation, not a competition in guarding your own interests” (Rundqvist,
2016). Ystad’s Film Strategist Rundqvist further claims that there are many more actors on the
production side, a factor that may complicate the process from the municipality’s perspective.
On the municipality’s side on the other hand, there are only visible and clear authoritative
layers. And so there may be surprises for the municipality in ways that the production company
don’t get back. For instance, Film Strategist Rundqvist portrays an example of a situation in
which the production company have received their money, the municipality have accessed the
pictures, but suddenly the municipality is not allowed to view the movie because it must be
screened on Gothenburg’s film festival (as an example) first – meaning a changed agenda that
the municipality was not aware of when investing in the project (Rundqvist, 2016).
The former Municipality Director of Ystad, on the other hand, expresses himself in the
following way; “In order to make this work, I think it’s important that you have people who
manage to both reconcile the ‘hunger’, the new who want something new, combined with
experience.” Though the former Municipality Director of Ystad further expresses how it in this
case also was vital to have politicians who dared to make decisions; “Both Thomas and Kent
truly believed in this and pushed hard for the project, which was a deal-breaker. As a public
official I can’t pursue projects if I don’t have the politics with me” (Korsås, 2016). Ystad’s City
Counsler Mårtensson confirms that “We saw this as a tremendous opportunity to get our
municipality’s name out there, that Ystad could become a small spot on the film map and attract
new film creators… But it’s not an easy process” (Mårtensson, 2016). Film i Skåne’s CEO, on
the other hand, pushes for the importance of communication and trust when initiating
relationships in this type of context. “You also need to be clear and structured about what you
want to get out of the project, and what you expect from your partner. That you have a rolling
dialogue about these things…“ (Ivarsson, 2016). Ivarsson further underlines the importance of
including a third, neutral party, a collecting agency who deals with all dividends once the money
starts to roll in. “Otherwise, one might end up in legal disputes,” Ivarsson explains (Ivarsson,
2016). See Appendix for complete summary of informants’ thoughts.
25
4.2.3 Cultural Differences & Bureaucratic Layers Partly Complicate the Relationships
A key figure in order to make the project of the Wallander film series work was the regional
film fund (Gylling, 2016). Ystad’s Film Strategist Rundqvist agrees, stating that; “Without Film
i Skåne this cooperation wouldn’t have worked, they have completely paved the way for the
municipality” (Rundqvist, 2016). Ystad’s City Counsler Mårtensson agrees with Ystad’s Film
Strategist Rundqvist, stating that “The financial part that Film i Skåne contributed with was
necessary in order for the projects to be launched” (Mårtensson, 2016). Film i Skåne’s CEO
himself comments positively on the cooperation, stating; “The co-operation has been incredibly
fruitful for us… But of course, it was a challenge.” To exemplify one of these challenges, Film
i Skåne’s CEO remembers that he noticed a difference in negotiation cultures while dealing
with Yellow Bird, referring to Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder Sondberg’s Danish approach. Film i
Skåne’s CEO clarifies by stating that while the typical Swedish manner is usually characterized
by a situation in which both parties strive to achieve a win-win-situation, the Danish approach
appeared slightly more self-centered in a kind of sense, where; “You regard the negotiation
more like a fight where you want to get out with as much as possible” (Ivarsson, 2016).
Ystad’s Film Strategist Rundqvist clarifies how one ought to regard the project as being
about relationships and people, rather than organizational units connecting with each other. She
believes that she has gotten a great contact with Yellow Bird’s Film Producer Gylling
personally – though Yellow Bird as a company has, from her perspective as the region’s film
strategist, been rather difficult to cooperate with. The cooperation has been great in terms of
personal relationships, but there have been issues regarding rights and access to pictures and
moving media clips, Ystad’s Film Strategist Rundqvist explains. Bureaucratic layers on the
production side have been complicating the process (Rundqvist, 2016).
As for the relationships initiated, Yellow Bird’s Film Producer Gylling states that they
may be regarded as rather long-lasting - many have been involved and been sitting on the same
positions from the beginning until the end on the regional side. It was only for the last two series
where a few new people got in, according to Film Producer Gylling. This means that once a
relationship has been initiated, the relationship is more or less with the same people. Though
when a few faces changed for the last two series, Film Producer Gylling expresses that he
personally, and his team, experienced a few difficulties in terms of communication (Gylling,
2016).
From Ystad’s Film Strategist Rundqvist’s perspective, the relationships initiated when
creating destination marketing are usually rather periodic – some become long-lasting, but that
26
depends, she means. In terms of Yellow Bird, the relationship did turn out to be rather longlasting. However, Film Strategist Rundqvist clarifies that there is some pressure added to the
relationship in terms of making sure you get your part of the deal while the production company
is present in your region – “If you haven’t solved something while the production company is
present on the location, you are not likely to get attention if you for instance email someone
later on. You need to make sure you get what you need while people are present on your
location. It’s very project oriented in that kind of sense. People fade away” (Rundqvist, 2016).
5. Analysis
Similar to Edvardson et al.’s (2008) formulation: “(…) the ability to initiate new business
relationships is crucial for business survival” (p. 339), one may state that municipalities’ focus
on initiating relationships with filmmakers may be crucial for their economic survival through
tourism, and filmmakers’ ability to initiate relationships may be vital in order to secure enough
funds for new movies. The analysis model for this thesis aimed to capture how business
relationships are initiated in film productions creating destination marketing by studying three
levels of relationships, namely; business relationships, business networks, and social networks.
All of these relationships are formed in a project-based context, the aim was to identify which
forces that act as converters versus inhibitors in the process of initiating relationships in a
project of destination marketing.
One may start by stating that the dynamics are interesting when a commercial
cooperation (Yellow Bird) enters a project with parties connected to a destination (Ystad
Municipality & Film i Skåne). The relationships initiated circulates around a project – a project
that, although its uniqueness regarding the success in terms of destination marketing, may be
regarded as just another project from the film production company’s side. For the municipality,
on the other hand, the project meant much more. It seemed to have changed their whole
perception of who they are as a municipality, creating a “huge wave” of new productions and
established a film focus that is relevant for the region up until today. This perception was
highlighted in the interviews; for instance by the fact that most informants from the regional
side remembered every single name of the people involved in the project - while, on the film
production company’s side, it was more blurry. It appeared as if time had passed much more
quickly in their world, which disturbed their memory of this specific production. One may also
reflect upon the differences in people attracted to these different industries – it is possible that
the film production industry attracts a more genuinely project-oriented, energetic, dynamic,
27
impulsive type of crowd, whereas regional authorities attract people more drawn to structure,
routines, transparency etc. Different people see different things, remember different things –
and may thus be another explanation for diverging views between the three parties.
5.1 Initiating the Relationships - Mapping out Converters & Inhibitors
As for the initiating process of the relationship, one may state that in line with Dwyer et al.’s
(1987) thoughts on phase 1 in the start of a new relationship, situational proximity seems to
have helped the process of initiating relationships. This proximity has been exemplified by for
instance the fact that Yellow Bird’s Co-Founder Sondberg and author Mankell had regional
roots and connections to the location Ystad – they weren’t simply Stockholmers aiming to
secure an easy target for a financier, which potentially facilitated the communication with the
regional authorities initially with regards to first impressions. Further, while Edvardson et al.
(2008) map out three rather specific modes of status in the initiating phase of a relationship, the
case study does not present such a concrete perspective. Rather, it seems as if the relational
journey was a highly subjective journey, where parties unconsciously moved from one stage to
another; “It’s essentially about people, ‘clicking’ with people, and establish the trust and
direction necessary in order for you to move towards the same goal. Once that’s all there,
you’re good to go” (Rundqvist, 2016).
All informants agree on that a smooth process of initiating new relationships was key
in order to create the Wallander film productions. Several have even stated that it was a main
deal-breaker in that there came to be so many sequences made in the end. If the parties would
have had to re-initiate fresh, functional relationships for every new film made, one party would
probably have given up rather soon. What created this smoothness then? The production
company and the parties tied to the destination (Ystad municipality & Film i Skåne) give
slightly differing answers to this question. While all parties agree that striving for mutual
understanding and the existence of social chemistry were important converters, each side also
share their own perspective. The film production side highlight the existence of a receptive
attitude, a motivated approach, as well as a creative visionary. The production company may
be regarded as the party that brings the initial idea to the table. Thus, one might conclude that
this party already possesses a receptive attitude, a motivated approach and creative visionaries
– otherwise, how might anyone be convinced and motivated to take part in such an investment?
Hence, the film production side will seek to find the same qualities in their cooperative partners
– the collaborative partner need to possess certain similar characteristics in order to see what
the production company sees.
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As for the converters highlighted by the regional authorities (Ystad municipality &
Film i Skåne), they add factors such as mutual respect, passion/courage-driven visionaries and
structure, transparency and communication. It seems as if the mutual respect was put forward
as a result of the potential imbalanced power structure that the municipality perceived to exist
between the three parties. Further, given the municipality’s limited size, one might conclude
that investing in such a large project – especially a creative, rather abstract one (initially), was
regarded as a risky investment. Thus, it takes passion and courage amongst key people high up
on the hierarchical municipality ladder in order for them to invest. People need to believe in the
idea before being prepared to initiate relationships. And, in order to believe in the idea, the
regional authorities need structure, transparency and thorough communication from the
production company’s side in exchange. As for the inhibitors, the production company meant
that the following factors may get the process of initiating relationships stuck; lack of
motivation, lack of resources and lack of open-mindedness. If there is no motivation, no
resources nor open-mindedness, the cooperation will soon get so slow that it becomes too
expensive to run. The regional authorities highlighted trust, bureaucratic layers and industryrelated cultural differences.
The visionary from Ystad municipality may arguably have been the municipality’s
former Municipality Director, who, thanks to his previous experiences at the ministry came in
with a slightly different perspective and something of an “everything-is-possible”-attitude. This
clearly played out in Yellow Bird’s favour. Continuously, Film i Skåne’s CEO seem to have
contributed with the passion and engagement required in order to actually carry out the actual
work necessary in order to realize the projects. Further, another converter in this case
specifically seems to have been the already established and fundamental positivity and openmindedness thanks to the books. With this in place already before the production of the series
were initiated, Yellow Bird’s task in convincing Ystad was facilitated – financiers had an image
to fall back to, which possibly made the project feel easier to grasp.
5.2 The Virtual Corporation & Network Functions
As for translating the nature of the relationships initiated according to the theories presented,
one might argue that the relationships created in this context may fit into Anderson et al.’s
(1994) description of the virtual corporation. The relationships have indeed indirectly been
described as a set of connected relationships established around a time-tied opportunity. The
opportunity in this context is the project – the film production. Jones’ (1996) thoughts, when
claiming that the film industry is created and re-created all the time, where individuals meet for
29
specific projects, then diverge once the project is finished, may also fit into the notion of the
virtual corporation, presented by Anderson et al. (1994).
If further applying Anderson et al.’s (1994) thoughts on the production of Wallander,
one may state that the main actors investigated are Yellow Bird, Ystad Municipality and Film
i Skåne. The activities may be regarded as all efforts made in the course of producing the
Wallander series, such as informing locals about the production’s positive effects, the actual
filming, and so on. The resources may in turn be interpreted as all tools used in order to realize
the activities – such as Ystad Studios, the funding contribution, the employee residence and so
forth. Further, Andersson et al.’s (1994) network functions and Jones’ (1996) notion of that the
film industry circulates around projects and informal personal networks are descriptions that
clearly seem to match the responses given through the case’s interviews. Jones’ (1996) thoughts
that these networks usually include complex tasks, requiring high levels of mutual
responsibility and team interdependence, do also correspond with the informants’ perspective.
Instead of dyadic relations between simply two parties, networks form the key word in this
case. Supportive locals, a positive attitude and resource accessibility may be regarded as the
networks’ embedded context, acting in favour of the project. However, it is difficult to map out
specific network horizons, given the case’s subjective tone.
Discussing the nature of the relationships initiated, one might conclude that from
Ystad’s perspective, it’s clear that power structures have had a certain impact on the
relationship. Following the informants’ thoughts, one might argue that the production company
had superior power compared to the regional authorities once the production company got their
funds. However, following Ystad’s development and expanding aspirations in being regarded
as a film hub, this structure doesn’t appear to be enough for Ystad municipality anymore. The
amount of focus, time and money invested in the aspiration of becoming a film hub has made
the whole project into a business for the municipality. However, the production side doesn’t
seem to be equally aware of this significant change in attitude, and easily fall into old patterns
of communicating, where they see themselves as more or less in charge of the cooperation.
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Concluding Remarks
This thesis aimed to explore which converters and inhibitors that may characterize the process
of initiating relationships when creating destination marketing through film. The results found
in this thesis are summarized in figure 4 below. It can be stated that views differ between the
production company and the regional authorities (Ystad municipality & Film i Skåne) as to
which factors acted as converters versus inhibitors in the process of initiating relationships.
While all parties within the project agreed that striving for mutual understanding & social
chemistry were important converters, the production company further added receptive attitude
& motivated approach, and creatively driven visionaries as vital converters. The regional
authorities on the other hand highlighted mutual respect, passion/courage-driven visionaries
and structure, transparency & communication. As for the inhibitors, the production company
pointed at lack of motivation, lack of resources and lack of open-mindedness, while the regional
authorities highlighted trust, bureaucratic layers and industry-related cultural differences.
Figure 4. Summary of results: converters & inhibitors in the process of initiating relationships
when creating destination marketing
Yellow Bird
Converters
Inhibitors
Receptive attitude & motivated approach
Lack of motivation
Striving for mutual understanding
Lack of resources
Social chemistry & creatively driven visionaries
Lack of open-mindedness
Ystad Municipality & Film i Skåne
Converters
Inhibitors
Striving for mutual understanding & respect
Trust
Social chemistry & passion/courage-driven visionaries
Bureaucratic layers
Structure, transparency & communication
Industry-related cultural differences
Following the results of this thesis summarized in the figure above, a simpler, more
generalised model has been put forward below as a concluding contribution to future studies.
31
The purpose of this model is to act as a basic example of how one may regard the initiating
phase of establishing relationships when creating destination marketing through film.
32
References
Adlander, Raluka, 2016, “An Inventory Project of Film Tourism”. Film and Literature-related
Events, Products & Places in the Ystad & Österlen Region. Ystad Municipality. Document
updated 2016 by Petra Rundqvist.
Anderson, James C., Håkan Håkansson & Jan Johanson, 1994, “Dyadic Business
Relationships Within a Business Network Context”. Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58 No. 4 pp.
1-15
Business Source Premier. 2017. EBSCO host Support Site: Developing Buyer-Seller
Relationships. EBSCO Industries.
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3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Developing+BuyerSeller+Relationships&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Marketing&rft.au=Dwyer%2C+F.+Robert&rft.au
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Dwyer, Robert F., Schurr, Paul H., & Oh, Sejo, 1987, ”Developing buyer–seller
Relations”. Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51 No 2, pp. 11-27
Edvardsson, B & Maria Holmlund & Tore Strandvik, 2008, ”Initiation of business
relationships in service-dominant settings”. Industrial Marketing Management, Vol 37, p.
339-350
Gylling, Daniel; producer at Yellow Bird. 2016. Interview 2 December.
Hudson, S and J.R.B Ritchie, 2005, ”Film Tourism and Destination Marketing: the case of
Captain Corelli’s Mandoln”. Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 12 No 3, pp. 256-268
33
Hudson, S and J.R.B Ritchie, 2016, ”Promoting Destinations via Film Tourism: An Emperical
Identification of Supporting Marketing Initiatives”. Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 44, pp.
387-396
Ivarsson, Ralf; CEO, Film i Skåne. 2016. Interview 21 December.
Jones, Candace, 1996, ”Careers in Project Networks: The Case of the Film Industry”, The
Boundaryless Career. pp. 58-75
Korsås, Carl-Johan; former municipality director (Ystad). 2016. Interview 12 December.
Lantz, Thomas; former city counsler, Ystad municipality. 2016. Interview 9 December.
Mårtensson, Kent; city counsler, Ystad municipality. 2016. Interview 20 December.
Rundqvist, Petra; film strategist at Ystad municipality. 2016. Interview 7 December.
Saunders, Mark., Philip Lewis & Adrian Thornhill. 2016. Research Methods for Business
Students. 7. Harlow: Pearson
Sondberg, Ole; producer & co-founder of Yellow Bird. 2016. Interview 13 December.
Soteriades, M, 2012, ”Tourism destination marketing: approaches improving effectiveness
and efficiency”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 107-120
34
Appendix
Figure 1: Andersson et al. (1994) Connected Relations & Business Networks
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Interview Questions
Given the informants’ different roles, some of the questions have been adapted in order to fit
the informant’s profile. Below please find a general presentation of the questions asked.
TO CREATE A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING
1. What is your role today? What was your role back in 2003? How did you contribute to
the Wallander production specifically?
2. Who did you contact/who contacted you regarding initiating the Wallander projects in
2003? What do you remember from that meeting? First impressions? Who were
present?
3. What was included in the contractual agreements? How would you describe the
nature of the exchange (formal/informal)?
4. Please map out the chain of events of the production. With regards to beginning new
relationships within the production, how much were strategy and how much were
natural developments?
5. How would you describe the nature of the established relationships (active, long-term,
periodic, genuine, superficial, etc..)?
6. Assuming an active focus of initiating new relationships – do you perceive a difference
in this focus today versus back then? What has changed? Why do you think this is?
7. When do you perceive a relationship to be fully initiated? And in the context of
starting up the Wallander production?
8. What makes establishing new relationships hard? Why?
9. What facilitates the process of establishing new relationships? Why?
10. What gets the process stuck?
11. What is important in order to make this type of cooperation work, from your
perspective?
12. Once a relationship is established, do you perceive the relationship that follows to be
dynamic or static? Can a relationship move forward and backwards or just forward
versus not at all?
13. Have you perceived certain patterns when initiating new relationships within this
context?
14. When establishing a new relationship, what conditions need to be in place in order for
it to be possible to move on into a serious commitment?
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15. If you were to map out a spider net of relationships around this production – what
clusters do we have?
16. How would you describe the flows of information between Yellow Bird, Film i Skåne
and Ystad Municipality?
17. Looking back – how do you perceive the cooperation?
18. What has the cooperation meant to the municipality of Ystad? To Film i Skåne? To
Yellow Bird?
19. How does the exchange work? What is usually included in these kinds of deals, when
creating destination marketing through film?
20. Where does the funding come from? Where do they in turn get their money from?
21. How much of the success was pure strategy, and how much just simply happened?
More specifically about relationships, converters & inhibitors
22. How important is the ability to initiate new relationships in your industry? Has it
always been like this?
23. How would you define the type of relationships usually created in this context?
(episodic/intense/proactive/interactive etc).
24. How many people change along the process? How has that affected the process of
establishing new relationships/contacts?
25. When do you perceive a relationship in this context to be fully initiated? Is there some
sort of formal/informal expression portraying this?
26. What conditions need to be in order before one can commit to a new relationship?
Have this changed?
27. What helped you to create new relationships around the production? What facilitated
this process?
28. What was difficult? What problems may arise? What problems did arise?
29. How would you say that the future looks for this type of relationships?
30. Do you recognize certain patterns whenever a new relationship is initiated?
31. If so – are there particular stages in the relationship?
32. If not – can you try to distinguish different states/which would they be?
33. How are these stages (if they exist) – are they states or stages – do they progress with
a certain speed or can you move backwards and forwards etc?
37
34. Are there forces that may push you backwards in the process of establishing a new
contact? Are there forces may push you forward? Which are these?
35. Has the process of initiating a relationship suddenly ended abruptly, in the middle of
the process? What happened?
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Overview: region’s investment versus regional ROI
(Adlander et al., 2016, p. 48)
An extraction from a power point presentation used by Film i Skåne around the year of
2003 (Ivarsson, 2016).
39
Summary of the informants’ thoughts on the initiation process of the relationships created
Daniel Gylling
Motivation & receptivity, a positive approach & shared political agenda, communication,
Film Producer, Yellow Bird
commitment, creative visionaries, striving for mutual understanding
Ole Sondberg
Accessible politicians, welcoming atmosphere, successful results, commitment, access to
Film Producer & Co-founder,
resources, problem-solvers
Yellow Bird
Petra Rundqvist
Project oriented mentality, need for structure & clear communication of expectations,
Film Strategist, Ystad
unpredictability, bureaucratic layers, social chemistry, mutual respect & a shared agenda
Municipality
Kent Mårtensson
Commitment, offering resources, potential to see opportunities
City Counsler (S),
Ystad Municipality
Thomas Lantz
Commitment, offering resources, structure, offering resources
Former City Counsler (M),
Ystad Municipality
Carl-Johan Korsås
Passionately driven visionaries, courage, thinking outside the box, experience
Former Municipality Director,
Ystad Municipality
Ralf Ivarsson
Cultural differences in negotiating techniques, communication, trust, structure, clear
CEO, Film i Skåne
communication of expectations, include third neutral parties
40