Those passionate about all things marketing will love a good series or film that engages with the industry, from poorly executed campaigns that make us cringe, to the new digital world and social media and how it affects our wellbeing.
Due to this, we have selected 5 series on Netflix that you NEED to see if you are a marketeer, so without further ado - grab the popcorn.
Fyre
Fyre is about the greatest festival that never happened - Frye Festival. It's what you get when you do some great social media campaigns with influencers and celebrities with cringe-worthy planning with an added seasoning of fraud, cover-ups, false promises, and WTF moments.
Fyre proves that marketing indeed does work. They convinced consumers to spend thousands on something they had no idea what it would be - that requires some powerful marketing.
The biggest lesson that every marketer should take away is that you don't sell a product or service - you sell a feeling. Consumers will buy almost anything if you can convince them it will make them feel how they want to feel.
The series sums up perfectly the notion of being responsible for supplying the demand you have created. Have integrity. Be true to your word. Don't sell anything you don't really believe in.
It is a MUST-SEE for any marketeer!
Emily in Paris
Emily in Paris sees Emily, a Chicago-based Marketing Executive tasked with providing an American perspective to a Marketing firm in Paris. The series certainly divides opinion - but we love it!
Among all of Emily's on-screen dilemmas, the series also provides some important lessons for any marketer. The series sees Emily expressing the importance of using social media - from both personal and brand perspectives to generate awareness and attention.
Emily shows creative thinking and decisiveness in her ideas throughout the show. Taking inspiration for a whole campaign from an art gallery and never being reluctant to express her ideas (even if she lets her imagination take over).
These are only two examples of a whole host of marketing tips to take away from the series. It really is one you shouldn't miss!
The Social Dilemma
The Social Dilemma has been described as "the most important documentary of our times" by various media outlets. The docudrama perfectly depicts the dangerous side of social media, which tech giants use to manipulate their users, and the devastating impact this can have on mental health and consumption patterns.
Everything that we do online is monitored and everything we see online, as a result, is personalised to our interests and behaviour. The main vehicle for monitoring this is notably Facebook, the social media giant embroiled in various scandals - mainly concerning the accelerated spreading of fake news and personal data harvesting.
The documentary was pretty scathing of social networking sites, and their role in mental health problems. Due to this, it would not be foolish to assume that large-scale change is on the horizon. We have already started to see minor tweaks - such as limiting demographic targeting, ad content regulations, and more.
It really is an intriguing, eye-opening watch for the digital marketers out there. Be sure to give it a watch!
The Great Hack
The Great Hack is a fascinating exposé of the Cambridge Analytical scandal and its connection to the Trump campaign. The documentary details how personal data has become one of, if not the, biggest commodity in the world.
What Cambridge Analytica did, on the face of it, was smart marketing, however, when they did cross the line they were made to pay for it. The key component of their strategy was to use digital media to target persuadable voters in the right swing states and advertise to them at just the right time. On the face of it, this seems like a sensible approach. Where they overstepped the line was in the collection of data. The company purchased huge amounts of personal data from personality surveys and social media platforms.
So what can we learn from The Great Hack? Audience segmentation is crucial when attempting to trial or change behaviour, and getting the mix of messaging is important. A combination of a broad layer and tailored messaging is essential for creating conversation.
The documentary is such a fascinating watch, showing the dark side of data and social media. This really is a must-see for marketers as the documentary provides a great insight into strategic marketing and the use of big data.
Abstract: The Art of Design
Abstract: The Art of Design is a brilliant series for the creative marketers out there. The series explores the world of design through various industries, with each episode covering a designer from each of their respective industries, from illustration to graphic design, to vehicle and footwear design.
We LOVE this series as this is a huge part of what we do, re-branding companies to communicate their message to their audience effectively. The notion of there being a story, message, feeling, or connection behind your product or service, or your marketing campaigns is such as valuable lesson to learn.
Several research studies indicate that consumers act completely subconsciously on emotions and feelings. This makes connecting to them via a message or story imperative for success. This is why we rarely see products being advertised in an idealistic manner, as they say, 'sell the sizzle, not the steak'.