Do you feel guilty binge-watching one TV show after the other? Let’s face it – at some point in our lives, we all have. Art imitates life, but in a way to also offer respite from it and that’s precisely what we are all drawn to. This past year especially, we have increasingly turned to our favorite shows to escape the harsh realities of the pandemic. However, you need not feel guilty about devoting so much time to TV shows as there’s plenty to learn from them, especially if you are a digital marketer.
We are charting the must-see top TV shows that you can watch and benefit from as a digital marketer.
1. Mad Men
Set in the 1960s, Mad Men is a TV show about the golden era of advertising. It documents the meteoric rise of an advertising agency and the individual journey of the protagonists, all while showcasing stellar marketing techniques. From creating the most brilliant ad campaigns to slaying the competition, one company at a time, “Mad Men” touches upon the quintessential marketing aspects that are pretty much timeless.
The show constantly hammers on the core values of marketing – whether it is making the clients happy or creating value for the products they are selling. If you are a budding digital marketer, we strongly recommend this show. Not only will you get an insight into a period when it all started and made a real impact on the market but also get some ideas about how to capture the imagination of your audience and create campaigns that deliver results.
2. Emily in Paris
Emily in Paris premiered on Netflix in 2020 and managed to charm viewers all across the world, especially digital marketers. The show follows the titular character Emily to Paris where she joins the office of a French advertising agency, newly acquired by her company where she is expected to bring the much-talked-about American perspective to the table.
In the process, Emily nails digital marketing, one campaign at a time. From the time she arrives in Paris, she starts sharing snippets of her life as an expat with her social community. What happens next is phenomenal – her Instagram follower count increases exponentially which she is eventually able to use professionally as well. Her zeal for digital marketing is almost infectious and makes all digital marketing enthusiasts take notes.
Also Read: Digital Marketing Tips We can Learn from Emily in Paris
3. The Social Dilemma
Branded as the “most important documentary of our times” The Social Dilemma is a Netflix production that presents the dark side of social media. It shows how social media uses and manipulates human psychology to its advantage. Former Google and Facebook employees come together to educate the audience on how the algorithms work to trick our minds into consuming more of social media every day to the point that it becomes an addiction.
For all of you who want to become ethical practitioners of digital marketing and be more responsible towards the consumer, this is a must-watch. It will make you question the way we use social media and think of ways how it could be done differently. Whether it is fake news or peer pressure on social media, this show takes us through all the “dilemmas” of social media and how the global population is dealing with it. You should also watch it to get a better understanding of consumer psychology.
4. Marketing. Media. Money
This CNBC series combines entertainment and education for marketers in an unparalleled way. It follows the journey of the marketing industry through all kinds of growth and transformation, breaking down all the important marketing mantras. It includes a series of interviews from the modern-day icons of marketing which can help you understand their work and the ethos of marketing better.
The show also provides an insight into consumer behavior so that marketers can use that to their advantage. This five-season series is perfect for anyone who wants to get marketing tips and reduce their learning curve.
5. American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story
The American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story is a Prime series that closely follows the life of the founder of the Playboy magazine. Set in the 1950s, this docu-series will take you through the journey of the magazine along and its rise to fame. The show captures Hefner’s plans for men’s entertainment in a post-war era and the impact he created on global culture. Watch this show if you want to understand the rise of capitalist consumerism in America through six decades and how it has continued to affect consumers globally.
Hefner started small but always had bigger plans and he was able to fulfill them because he had an acute understanding of his audience. A close look at his personal journey will help you understand the fundamentals of marketing better. After all, none of our current work exists in isolation. It is only by looking at the past can we plan for the future.
Hope you have a productive binge-watch session that not just entertains but also educates. Happy binging!
For more on Digital Marketing, check out Great Learning’s PG Program in Strategic Digital Marketing.
