When you link entertainment content and popular media via fear, curiosity, or nostalgia, news outlets will run the story for free because it drives their ratings.

When you successfully link the two, you stop paying for attention and start earning it.

"The Interconnected World of Entertainment: Linking Entertainment Content and Popular Media"

Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 79(5), 701–721.

Oliver, M. B., & Bartsch, A. (2010). Appreciation as audience response: Exploring entertainment gratifications beyond hedonism. Human Communication Research , 36(1), 53–81.

Theory is useless without execution. Here is a step-by-step guide to building a campaign that successfully links entertainment content and popular media.