By: Lee Davenport, Ph.D

If you’re a solopreneur, then you are your business’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), among many things. And, unlike most careers, there are active marketing campaigns that spoof and diminish the work of real estate professionals, such as this video by a popular content creator, in which she severely mischaracterizes the job. Ugh! In other words, your 2026 marketing strategy can’t be an afterthought if you want to minimize as much as possible the infamous “revenue rollercoaster” (my term for the infamous “feast or famine” cycle). Let’s learn from one of 2025’s biggest cultural moments: “Stranger Things” (even if you didn’t watch it or like how it ended).

Stranger Things Could Happen

For a masterclass in marketing that breaks down silos, look no further than the final-season campaign for Netflix’s “Stranger Things”. Even if you’ve never seen an episode, you know the show. That’s power. This wasn’t just a show; it became a global entertainment ecosystem, creating over 8,000 jobs and generating $1.4 billion for the U.S. economy (wowzers!).

Netflix, with brands like Nike and Coca-Cola, executed a blueprint for turning a story into a phenomenon. Their strategy blends nostalgic storytelling, real-world events, and partnerships that feel authentically 1980s. They turned the “Upside Down” into a marketing playground that felt impossible to escape. In short, Netflix provided a blueprint for omnichannel marketing — that you can replicate — which seamlessly weaved your brand story across every touchpoint, allowing your audience to feel immersed in your world.

The key pivot? Netflix (an in-home streaming service) premiered the finale in THEATERS, which, according to Variety, earned approximately $28 million and sold 1.1 million vouchers in days. They broke their own mold and created a new revenue stream. That’s the strategic audacity we’re after.

“But I Don’t Have Netflix Money!”

For solopreneurs, omnichannel marketing isn’t about buying presence on every platform. It’s about orchestrating the free platforms you already own into one cohesive story. It starts with ruthless consistency in your voice and visuals across two or three key touchpoints (e.g. like your Instagram, your email newsletter and your booth at the local market). The magic happens when you deliberately weave them together. For instance, your social media directs people to your email list, your emails promote your in-person events, and at those events, you encourage social sharing. This creates a reinforcing loop where each channel nurtures the others.

You build a small but powerful ecosystem by designing every piece of content to serve multiple roles. One behind-the-scenes video becomes a Reel, an email story, and a conversation starter in person. A partnership with another local business becomes a joint giveaway and a cross-promotion in your newsletters. This turns limited reach into layered engagement, proving a true omnichannel experience is built on cohesion, not budget.

“Stranger Things” Could Happen (For Your Good)

As you finalize your 2026 business plan, ask yourself the following questions.

1. Are You Everywhere Your Prospective Client Is (Or Just in One Place)?

The “Stranger Things” campaign spanned live events, social media, retail, and the Macy’s Parade (Blancaflor, 2025). You don’t need a parade float, but you do need a plan. How will you create a cohesive, multi-channel experience that engages people at different points, rather than relying on a single tactic? Who can you partner with (think: complementary local businesses or micro-influencers) to borrow a little of their audience?

Coach’s Corner: I challenge you to form at least three new business partnerships in 2026. When you expand your network, you are better positioned to expand your net worth!

2. Do Your Partnerships Feel Like a Natural Part of Your Story?

Partnerships with Nike and Burger King worked because they fit the show’s 1980s world (Harris, 2025). How can you ensure any new tech, platform, or partnership feels like an authentic and valuable extension of your brand, not just a forced add-on? What’s your version of Netflix going to theaters (i.e., a strategic shift that makes people see you in a new light)?

Coach’s Corner: I challenge you to consider at least one pain point that your past clients have experienced and offer a solution that will not only attract them to return but also draw in new clients. Then, talk it up across your various channels. By the way, this is a natural way to dispel negative sentiments, without wasting your energy arguing, because, as the old saying goes, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”.

3. Are You Measuring Buzz or Actual Business Impact?⁣

As we learned earlier, Netflix tracked its billions of social impressions and AR engagements during the “Stranger Things” campaign. Are you still just counting likes and website visits? What specific, free tools (like Google Analytics or social insights) and key performance indicators (KPIs) will you use to measure the true engagement and ROI of your 2026 plan?

Coach’s Corner: I challenge you to review at least monthly how many eyeballs are on your various channels and look specifically for what works well and what doesn’t. This gives you the information you need to pivot where necessary.

My Own Upside-Down Experience

I’m a living case study. I almost skipped the final season of “Stranger Things” due to the long hiatus. But the show’s 2025 holiday marketing blitz was so omnipresent, I had to see what the fuss was about. I’m proof that omnichannel marketing is the powerful “nudge”— as Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein wrote — your future clients need.

This was the ad that finally pulled me in (in addition to various TikTok reels):

So, as you level up your CMO role for 2026, don’t just think about marketing tasks. Think like the strategists behind “Stranger Things”. Ask those three hard questions. Be audacious in your partnerships, ruthless in your metrics and cohesive in your narrative. You might just create a small phenomenon that your future clients can’t help but step into.

Dr. Lee Davenport is an MBA graduate school professor, executive business coach, and author (including Be a Fair Housing D.E.C.O.D.E.R., How to Profit with Your Personality, and over 270 news bylines).  Dr. Lee trains and empowers business students, executives, and real estate professionals around the globe on how to work smarter with their unique personalities and how to “advocate, not alienate,” so everyone has access and opportunity in real estate and business.