The Social Network
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Filmmaker David Fincher’s The Social Network is an engrossing account of how Facebook, a website that shifted the landscape of online advertising, came to be. As a marketer, it’s fascinating to learn about the origins of Facebook, the founders’ rationale for creating it, the specific actions they took to bring it to fruition, and the challenges they faced along the way. The Social Network takes you behind the scenes of Facebook’s meteoric rise to tech superstardom, from its modest but promising beginnings to its rapid growth.
Moneyball
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
There was no better team in baseball in 2002 than the Oakland A’s, who set an American League record with 20 consecutive victories. Additionally, their payroll was third lowest in the MLB. How did the A’s become baseball’s best team when the league is dominated by teams with huge payrolls?
Moneyball chronicles the early days of the statistical strategy that has since become the standard in baseball. The Athletics abandoned their natural, long-standing method of player scouting in favour of a radical new approach. The A’s maximised their return on investment by spending as little as possible to acquire as many valuable assets as possible.
Baseball and advertising share many similarities in this regard. Prior to the era of big data, crucial decisions were often made based on gut instinct alone. Then, a tsunami of opposition hit the few pioneers who dared to propose data as its replacement. But data proved its worth, and it is now the single most important factor in making choices in both sectors.
Up in the Air
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
A more well-rounded existence seems to be a goal for everyone these days. On the other hand, George Clooney’s Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air doesn’t fit this description. As part of his job, Ryan assists companies with layoffs. He has neither a fixed residence nor a family because he frequently travels by air to terminate workers on behalf of his client.
And it’s something he enjoys tremendously. Because of the effort they require, Ryan doesn’t think it’s worthwhile to have connections with other people or with material objects. In order to persuade others to adopt his philosophy of life, he even gives speeches.
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But after Ryan begins a casual relationship with another frequent flier, and after he mentors a new hire who constantly challenges his values, and after they all share some difficult experiences together, he begins to question his life philosophy.
The film Up in the Air serves as a reminder that success is possible with effort and commitment. However, it is your relationships with loved ones, not your professional achievements, that will remain etched in your memory.
