What Makes an IP Popular? Lessons from Comic-Con for Theme Parks

What makes an IP popular today? It’s not just the box office or streaming stats—it’s the fans who show up, dress up, and wait five hours for a free experience. At San Diego Comic-Con, Percy Jackson, Alien, and K-pop Demon Hunters proved that passion, not just numbers, powers IP. Philip and Scott break down why pop-ups are becoming the new focus groups, how activations create the data stories that boards and licensors want, and what theme park professionals can learn from the way studios test, validate, and launch IP in the wild. If you're pitching an IP partnership or designing a seasonal overlay, this episode is your blueprint. Listen to weekly BONUS episodes on our Patreon.