The red carpet has long been the crown jewel of entertainment marketing, but in 2026, the 30-second celebrity interview is no longer enough to anchor a blockbuster release. As fandom becomes more fragmented, sophisticated studios are shifting from buying big moments to surrounding them. This “Surround the Moment” strategy treats major cultural tentpoles as amplification zones that begin weeks before the event and sustain momentum long after the final award is handed out.
The traditional marketing funnel has collapsed into an infinite journey where consumers enter at any stage. Success in this new landscape requires moving beyond one-off awareness spikes and building a creator-led ecosystem that connects culture directly to community.
Pre-Moment—The Hype Cycle (Inspiration & Curiosity)
The “moment” starts long before the cameras flash. For category leaders, the pre-moment is about shifting from broad awareness to deep curiosity.
- Modular Teasing: Studios should partner with Mega Creators to release exclusive “breadcrumbs” of content. During the launch of the Barbie movie, Warner Bros. and IZEA activated activated diverse global creators months before release, hyping up the excitement and nostalgia in the public mind.
- The “Culture Board” Antenna: Use Mid-Tier creators as a cultural antenna to identify emerging fan theories and aesthetic trends. By the time the event arrives, the brand isn’t just participating in culture, it’s defining it.
Tori Perez, VP Sales at IZEA, explains the necessity of the always-on shift: “The traditional marketing funnel hasn’t just changed; it has fundamentally collapsed. Relying on a one-off 30-second interview is a missed opportunity in an ecosystem that demands constant participation. By surrounding the moment, we ensure your brand isn’t just a guest at the cultural table, but the very energy driving the conversation.”
The Moment—Live Immersion (Experience & Voice)
When the event peaks, the goal is to bridge the gap between digital discovery and real-world participation.
- Red Carpet 2.0: Invite a diverse “Culture Board” to premieres to make the event feel native to every feed. For the Minecraft movie, over 300 creators—ranging from kidfluencers to food creators—were engaged to ensure the premiere felt like a global community moment rather than a corporate press junket. This multi-genre approach resulted in a reach of over 450 million.
- Shared Reality Touchpoints: Implement biometric fan lanes or shared reality experiences at fan events. 91% of consumers say participating in experiential marketing makes them more inclined to buy from a brand according to the report from Quad-Harris Poll.
Post-Moment—The Content Tail (Loyalty & Advocacy)
The greatest mistake in modern marketing is silence the day after a major event. Inactivity replaces brand equity.
- Transactional Advocacy: Leverage Micro and Nano creators to turn event hype into learned behavior. Use influencer-led “get the look” tutorials or behind-the-scenes recaps with trackable CTAs to drive foot traffic to theaters or digital storefronts.
- Hyper-Personalization at Scale: Take the modular content captured by creators during the event and remix it into hyper-personalized ad variants. This ensures that while a Mega Creator provides the “halo effect,” a Nano Creator provides the “people like me” reassurance that drives a final decision.
3 Major Takeaways for Surrounding the Moment
- Stop Thinking in Campaigns: Move toward an always-on model. 82% of marketers now run always-on campaigns to build long-term trust rather than just chasing seasonal spikes according to a study by Modash.
- Fandom is a Currency, Not a Metric: Measure success by value, velocity, and voice. Proving ROI is the biggest measurement hurdle for nearly 40% of brands according to the report from IAB. Focusing on earned media and community sentiment provides a clearer picture of long-term fan retention.
- Scale the Roster: Diversity is key. For the Barbie launch, activating 122 global influencers across trailer drops and fan events resulted in an unprecedented reach of over 1.05 billion and a 17% engagement rate.
At IZEA, we ensure your brand isn’t just a spectator—it’s the pulse. Because in the 2026 Creator Economy, Fandom Starts Here. Talk to us!
Sources: IAB 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report; Flowcode 2026 CMO Growth Playbook; IZEA Entertainment & Media Case Studies; Quad-Harris Poll 2025.
John Francis is the VP, Sales & Marketing Operations at IZEA, where he champions the alignment of sales and marketing to accelerate innovation and fuel strategic growth within the Creator Economy.
