Netflix and NBCUniversal are experimenting with recent marketing strategies to attach with audiences beyond the streaming screen. Rather than relying only on trailers, social media ads, or traditional promotions, some studios are constructing campaigns that mix in-person experiences with digital engagement.
During a panel discussion on the Campaign Convene 2026 conference, executives from each firms discussed how this hybrid approach is shaping how shows and movies are marketed, combining live fan events with online platforms and streaming services.
Industry observers often consult with the strategy as “phygital” marketing. The term describes campaigns that link physical experiences, reminiscent of fan conventions, themed installations, or pop-up events, with digital tools that reach engagement online. According to reporting from Campaign Live, executives from each firms said these campaigns help turn viewers into lively participants slightly than passive audiences.
The approach reflects a shift in how entertainment brands promote content in an era when streaming services compete for attention as much as subscriptions. A marketing campaign not ends with a trailer release or a banner ad. Instead, it could involve interactive events that encourage fans to share content, join discussions, and engage with a franchise across multiple channels.
Blending physical events with digital engagement
In practice, phygital campaigns often start with a live experience. A studio might host a themed pop-up tied to a brand new series or stage a fan event tied to a significant film release. At the identical time, digital tools extend the reach of the event.
In many cases, hybrid campaigns may include tools reminiscent of QR codes, social media integrations, or mobile apps that link the physical event to digital content. These interactions create a feedback loop through which the physical event fuels online conversation, and online discussion draws more fans to the experience.
Executives from Netflix and NBCUniversal described this approach as a technique to construct stronger ties between audiences and entertainment franchises. Physical experiences give fans a probability to attach with a show in person, while digital channels allow studios to follow how those interactions spread online. Campaign Live reported that the businesses see these campaigns as a technique to keep audiences engaged before and after a show’s release.
Why streaming firms are testing this approach
The strategy also reflects broader changes in how audiences eat media. Streaming platforms have grown quickly over the past decade, but they now compete with many types of digital entertainment, including short-form video platforms and gaming. As a result, studios are looking for ways to make their content stand out in crowded feeds.
Separate industry research highlights the challenge. In its 2024 Digital Media Trends survey, Deloitte found that younger audiences often divide their viewing time between streaming services, social media platforms, and user-generated content sites. This shift has pushed media firms to take into consideration marketing as an ongoing conversation slightly than a one-time campaign.
Phygital marketing may also generate large amounts of user-created content. When fans attend a themed event or interactive experience, many record and share the moment online. Those posts often reach audiences far beyond the individuals who attended the event itself. Studios then track how that content spreads across platforms reminiscent of TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Data and technology behind hybrid campaigns
Technology plays a very important role in connecting these physical and digital moments. Mobile apps, QR codes, and location-based services can tie a real-world event to online content or rewards. Customer data systems help marketing teams track which experiences attract attention and how fans respond afterward. Social media analytics tools also help studios measure how much conversation an event generates.
These tools allow firms to collect insight about how audiences interact with a franchise across multiple channels. For example, a studio might even see what number of visitors attended a live event, what number of scanned a code to unlock digital content, and what number of later shared that have online. Each step provides data that may shape future campaigns.
For media firms, the goal is to increase the lifetime of a show or film beyond the screen. A successful event may create a ripple effect, driving interest weeks before a release and sustaining discussion long after the premiere.
The approach also mirrors strategies utilized in other industries. Retail brands and sports leagues have been experimenting with similar hybrid experiences for years. In those sectors, brands mix physical stores or events with mobile apps, social platforms, and online communities. Entertainment firms are actually applying the identical idea to storytelling and fan engagement.
At the identical time, the model remains to be evolving. Some campaigns focus heavily on immersive events, while others emphasise digital participation tied to a smaller physical experience. Studios are still experimenting with which formats resonate most with fans.
What is evident is that entertainment marketing is expanding beyond traditional promoting channels. Streaming platforms remain central to how people watch shows and movies, but fan engagement now stretches across many spaces, from social media feeds to live gatherings.
By linking these environments together, firms like Netflix and NBCUniversal are testing how marketing can move between physical spaces and digital networks. The results of those experiments may shape how future entertainment campaigns are designed, especially as streaming services compete to maintain audiences engaged long after the play button is pressed.
(Photo by Marques Kaspbrak)
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