GUEST COLUMN: 7 Films Marketing Pros Should Not Miss
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7 Films Marketing Pros Should Not Miss
by Lewis Robinson
It sounds too good to be true: instead of continuing education classes or in-office seminars, pop some popcorn and chill on the couch with a good movie to get better at your job. Movie culture can be inspirational for many professions but none less than digital marketers. From content marketing to old-fashioned advertising, from true stories to full parodies, these movies can all provide fresh insight into the job you do every day. Watch one of these films over the weekend and bring a fresh start to your workweek on Monday.
1. The Social Network (2010)
No marketer should miss The Social Network. The story of how Facebook originated, and ultimately redefined how we use the internet to make interpersonal connections, is of interest to anyone with digital skills working in marketing today. The influence of social media cannot be overestimated, and the story of how it came to be is riveting.
2. Moneyball (2011)
Based on a true story, this is the tale of how the Oakland A's changed their strategy for how they buy players and completely changed their future. Their new approach, based on data analysis and data-driven action, drives their success but costs very little money. The movie demonstrates how digital marketing can bring a significant return on your investment and how you can beat the competition, even with a small budget, by being strategic.
3. The Joneses (2009)
This movie is a must-see for all marketers. The movie takes a closer look at a family of four and their perfect life. It turns out they are not even a real family. They are actors that are working as “self-marketers” or “hidden marketers”. The family and their lifestyle are meant to be aspirational for others, to entice them to buy the products displayed in the show so their family can also be perfect. The movie provides fascinating commentary on peer pressure and our consumer-driven society. It also foreshadows the current glut of reality television shows and how they influence marketing and advertising.
4. The LEGO Movie (2014)
This movie is really one long advertisement for the fun you can have with LEGOs; the brand is even the title, leaving no confusion about what will happen during the film. Anyone who watches gets a full primer on all the different ways you can use LEGO products to let your imagination come to life. It is a perfect example of what could happen if a creative marketing team is allowed to think outside the box with the budget to make their wildest dreams come true.
5. Steve Jobs (2015)
This biography of Steve Jobs tells the story of the most brilliant consumer-driven businessman in history. From the first Macintosh to the global dominance of Apple, no one has more to teach a digital marketer than Mr. Black Turtleneck himself. He understood that things don’t sell themselves. People need to be shown that they cannot live without your product. As a marketer, you can learn a lot from how Steve Jobs identified what people really wanted.
6. The Greatest Showman (2017)
Called the birth of show business, this story of how The Greatest Show on Earth came to be is a don't-miss for marketers. Visionary P.T. Barnum's commitment to relentless entertainment is a lesson in blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, something digital marketers attempt to do every day. This movie shows how a vivid imagination meshed with the drive to provide customers with an unparalleled entertainment experience can lead to success.
7. What Women Want (2000)
An oldie about a male marketer who experiences an accident that lets him hear everything women are thinking. While being a silly premise, we watch him learn to really listen to what women want. This movie demonstrates that to be a great marketer, it is not enough to just know your customers, you need to understand them as well.
Pick one of these seven films that all marketers should see to bring a fresh perspective to the work you do.
