Audiences are harder to reach than ever. They are inundated with trailers, ads and recommendations across every platform and as a result much of today’s marketing blends into the background. In that environment, the goal is not simply more impressions. The goal is to create relevance and credibility that actually move people from awareness to action.

That is why one of the most effective things we do in the field is also one of the most human. We activate through local partnerships.

When we say local partnerships, we mean aligning a title with community connectors that people already trust. Campuses, cultural institutions, neighborhood venues, local events, retail and lifestyle hubs and community organizations. These partners are not selected because they are available. They are selected because they are right for the audience a title needs in a specific market. The best partnerships do not feel like marketing. They feel like the title belongs.

The why behind it: people still act on trusted recommendations

Field marketing is often described as creating buzz, but buzz is not the objective. Behavior is. A message that comes directly from a brand is often processed as advertising even when the creative is strong. But when that same message arrives through a trusted local source, an organization someone belongs to, a venue they love or a local voice they follow, it lands differently. It feels credible. It feels relevant. It feels like a recommendation. That is the principle we build around: borrowed trust. We are not inventing attention. We are earning it through real community touchpoints that already have it.

It works for theatrical and streaming because the objective is the same

Whether the call to action is buy a ticket or press play, the job is to move audiences from awareness to intent to action. The behavior may differ but the psychology does not. For theatrical, partnerships create urgency and plans. Reasons to go this weekend, go with friends or choose one title over another, especially when timing matters most. For streaming, partnerships create triggers that move viewers from I have heard of it to I am watching tonight, particularly when paired with frictionless calls to action like QR codes, easy links, reminders or a simple watch now path. Different release models. Same human decision making.

Precision without waste

Local partnerships are not just about scale. They are about fit. Instead of aiming broadly and hoping the right audience sees the message, partnerships let us place a title where the right audience already gathers. That is how relevance is built quickly, by meeting genre fans, families, students and culturally connected communities in environments they already trust. The result is more efficient engagement. Fewer wasted impressions, stronger response and more meaningful conversion.

What it looks like on the ground

Partnership activations can be big or small, but they share one purpose: embedding the title into real life routines. That might include partner hosted moments at local events, themed nights with neighborhood venues, campus and community integrations or lifestyle tie ins that match the audience’s day to day. Importantly, field strategy is not just about busy areas. It is about relevant areas. The neighborhoods, venues and communities that align with the title’s audience and the campaign’s goals. We also design partnerships to be mutually beneficial because the long term strength of local relationships is what creates repeatable success across markets.

The bonus value: intelligence you cannot get from a dashboard

One of the most overlooked benefits of field marketing is what comes back from it. In field teams capture real audience insight. What people actually say, what confuses them, what excites them and what would push them from later to tonight. That intelligence can sharpen messaging, creative and market priorities as a campaign evolves.

The takeaway

Local partnerships are not an extra. They are a core lever because they combine three things entertainment marketing needs more than ever: trust, relevance and action. When planning your next theatrical or streaming release, the question is not only how do we reach people. It is where will this feel like a recommendation. That is where field marketing can make the difference.