The #1 Problem with Movie Marketing in 2026

Summary

The GaryVee Audio Experience
Episode: The #1 Problem with Movie Marketing in 2026
Date: July 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Gary Vaynerchuk leads a candid discussion with his team about the chronic missteps in movie marketing as the industry approaches 2026. The core focus is on the outdated nature of traditional marketing tactics—TV commercials, billboards, and brief high-spend campaigns—and how a lack of digital-first thinking has stifled both audience awareness and box office results. Gary passionately argues for a modern, experiential, and social-first approach that reflects how people actually discover and become excited about movies today.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The Inefficiency of Traditional Movie Marketing

• Gary kicks off the conversation by labeling current movie marketing strategies as "one of the great disasters in our industry, in society" ([00:21]).
• He views tactics such as TV spots and outdoor billboards as outmoded, especially if campaigns depend on people accidentally seeing them:

  "I became aware that He-Man the movie was coming because I saw outdoor media, which is good. But it was, you know, I got lucky that I looked up from my phone and saw like the billboard. Like they paid a lot of money for that." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([01:00])

2. The Marty Supreme Case Study: What Works

• Gary cites "Marty Supreme" as a rare modern example where non-traditional, innovative marketing built buzz ahead of release:

  "They did so many different things which brought awareness. ... I'm sure the five of us would agree that Marty Supreme's marketing worked because we had some general awareness of what the hell's going on before it even kind of hit." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([00:35])

3. The Missed Opportunity for Average and Great Films

• Gary expresses frustration over quality films failing unseen and subpar movies missing potential financial success due to poor marketing strategy:

  "I think it's really sad because I think there's some really quality movies that don't get discovered and then there's subjectively some very average movies that would just do much better at the box office if people knew it existed or were intrigued to consider it." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([02:50])

4. The Parallel with Political Campaigns

• Gary draws a sharp analogy between Hollywood's reliance on old marketing and politicians leaning on TV ads:

  "Movie marketing is doing what, what politics is doing wrong? Right? You hear over and over. Incumbent does television." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([01:40])

5. The Case for a Social-First and Experiential Approach

• He champions social media and digital-first tactics, suggesting these would "transform the industry" and unlock discovery for more films:

  "A modern experiential and digital and social-first digital approach to movie marketing would transform the industry. And Hollywood is very Hollywood out. They're very traditional." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([02:45])

6. The Cultural Lag in Hollywood

• Gary criticizes Hollywood’s slow adaptation, comparing it unfavorably with other lagging industries:

  "Hollywood is as traditional as corporations on Madison Avenue and as politics." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([02:48])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On outdated marketing strategies:

  "They’re spending real money in a small window to make an opening happen. And I think they got it all wrong." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([01:30])

• On the potential of digital approaches:

  "Like a modern experiential and digital and social first digital approach to movie marketing would transform the industry." — Gary Vaynerchuk ([02:45])

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Timestamps: Important Segments

• 00:00–00:21 — Setting up the conversation on movie marketing’s blind spots
• 00:21–01:40 — Gary’s analysis of current tactics and the "Marty Supreme" example
• 01:40–02:16 — Comparing movie marketing failures with political campaign mistakes
• 02:43–03:42 — The argument for a social-first approach and lament on industry stagnation

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Takeaways

• Gary Vaynerchuk sees an urgent need for the movie industry to rethink how it connects films to their audiences, advocating a wholesale shift toward continuous, social-first digital strategies.
• Examples like "Marty Supreme" prove audiences can be reached creatively, and traditional spending isn’t bringing the needed awareness in 2026.
• The persistent cultural lag in Hollywood prevents both exceptional and average films from achieving their potential.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking Gary's sharpest insights on the future of movie marketing.

Transcript

[A]

Hello team.

[B]

What's good? We can go into the movie marketing stuff. Like we have like information to give you and then maybe that sparks something.

[C]

Okay, so I made, I did a whole bunch of research. I made a slide presentation I can show you. It has a lot of examples. A lot of, A lot, a lot, a lot of data. But I kind of wanted to hear what your, where your mind is at.

[A]

Start with that before we get into that data. There is nothing more intuitive to me then. Movie marketing is one of the great disasters in our industry, in society. And you look at Marty supreme and that is an incredible execution of the reverse. They did so many different things which brought awareness. You know, obviously Timothy was already getting red hot, but there's. I'm sure the five of us would agree that Marty Supreme's marketing worked because we had some general awareness of what the hell's going on before it even kind of hit. Obviously. We'll talk about the horror movies in a minute and there's a lot to it, but I'm talking about Supergirl and I'm talking about the trillion other movies that come out a year that fail. And it's because they think TV commercials and billboards, I mean he man would probably be a good one. Like I saw more outdoor media for he man but like cool. Like I was aware, like I became aware that he man the movie was coming because I saw outdoor media, which is good. But it was, you know, I got lucky that I looked up from my phone and saw like the billboard. Like they paid a lot of money for that. And if they just did clipping the way Clavicle and I and other, like there's, there's so many ways to do movie marketing better and they're just not modern and they're spending a lot of money in a short period of time. These companies are spending real money in a small window to make an opening happen. And I think they got it all wrong. And movie marketing is doing what, what politics is doing wrong? Right? You hear over and over. Incumbent does television.

[D]

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[A]

New Age upset came from someone who did social media and everyone's like what? And like that's what's happening here. Like a modern experiential and digital and social first digital approach to movie marketing would transform the industry. And Hollywood is very Hollywood out. They're very traditional. Hollywood is as traditional as corporations on Madison Avenue and as politics. And I'm passionate because I think it's really sad because I think there's some really quality movies that don't get discovered and then there's subjectively some very average movies that would just do much better at the box office if people knew it existed or were intrigued to consider it. And so that's my overall thesis at the top of the article.

[E]

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