Grab an extra-large popcorn and take a seat. The movies are back, baby.

Yes, really. More than three years after Covid first began putting intense downward pressure on the business proposition of releasing movies in theaters, there is optimism that this summer’s box office, flush with releases like Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Barbie, and Fast X, will bring theatergoers—and ticket revenues—back in full force.

And as movies come back to theaters, there are other businesses that stand to benefit, whether that’s studio advertising spend or in-theater advertising. Streaming services that have the rights to stream other films within a franchise could also see a boost, as people may watch those earlier movies before seeing the newest installment in theaters.

“Everybody feels like the industry is kind of coming back to life,” Geetha Ranganathan, a senior media analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, told Marketing Brew.

Signs of life: The summer box office is crucial for studios and movie theaters. Sales during the summer season—usually defined as the 18 weeks starting the first Friday in May and ending on Labor Day—normally account for an average of 40% of the year’s total in the US and Canada, Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, told Marketing Brew.

• There will be 42 wide movie releases this summer, nearly double the 22 films released in the same timeframe a year ago, plus even more limited-release titles.

“There’s not really a weekend that you can point to and say there’s not a blockbuster or a potential blockbuster there,” Dergarabedian said. “This is very good news for theaters. Momentum is everything.”

Read more about box-office optimism and the “halo effect” movies may have on other businesses.—KS

It’s been a heck of a year for Connected TV. 88% of US households subscribe to streaming services, and ad spend grew 57% over the last year. That’s a lot of dollars and viewers. It’s also a lot of data, stats, and trends for a marketer to keep track of.

But with MNTN Research in your corner, the more data, the merrier. Between their vast collection of performance data and their constant eye on the latest stories shaping the industry, MNTN Research is the go-to source for all things CTV analysis.

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It seems people may still not be over all those canceled summer vacations of 2020.

According to a recent Deloitte survey of more than 3,500 Americans—including about 2,200 who “qualified as travelers”—even more are planning on traveling this summer than last. Sure, there are hurdles like inflation, but ultimately, the cost of travel isn’t keeping Americans at home.

Hot travel summer: Deloitte found that 63% of Americans have travel plans of some sort this summer, with 50% “taking a leisure trip with paid lodging” and 13% staying with family or friends.

• The share of Americans staying in paid lodging for summer trips has steadily increased since 2021.
• Intent to fly domestically and internationally, as well as take a cruise over the summer, is up compared to last year.

Budget crisis: Budgets for travelers’ longest trips of the summer have been on the decline. In 2021, travelers paying to stay somewhere estimated they’d spend $3,440 on their “marquee summer trip.” In 2022, that figure dropped to $3,320. This year, it’s $2,930. The decline could be due to a few factors:

• Those who were traveling a couple years back were “more likely to be avid, high-spending travelers.” With more people traveling, perhaps more are “typical spenders,” per Deloitte.
• Americans are planning on taking more trips this summer, which could be why they’re spending less on their marquee trip.
• Last, but not least: Inflation—which may mean some would-be travelers have less cash on hand.

Workaholics: Deloitte calls them “laptop luggers,” aka the 19% of summer travelers who said they plan to work at least a little during their marquee trip. Half of that group is 18- to 34-year-olds. Take a break, Gen Z and millennials.—AM

Somehow, we’re more than halfway through 2023. Below are some of our most popular stories from the first half of this year:

Lululemon gave out $98k worth of leggings—here’s how and why

How an intern helped the Savannah Bananas become TikTok famous

Why the fractional CMO position seems to be catching on

How HBO Max marketed ‘The Last of Us’ into a global hit

Van Leeuwen made ranch-flavored ice cream…But why?

+1: Read all of our latest coverage on Marketing Brew’s site.

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

Make it pop: Here are some tips for crafting content on LinkedIn.

Find your purpose: This guide can walk you through how to create a positioning statement for your brand.

Explainer: Speaking of guides, this one is all about the rising prevalence of authentication and how marketers are adapting to it.

Level up: Promoted but given no guidance? Our New Manager Bootcamp can equip you with the tools and confidence to tackle any management obstacle. It all begins July 10—sign up now.

Your CTV BFF: With 88% of US households subscribing to streaming services, marketers need to hone their Connected TV strategies. Luckily, MNTN Research gathers all the latest stats and trends in one place. Check it out.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}