Netflix vs. Reality: what Emily in Paris gets wrong about marketing
Thinking of a career in marketing? Here are some key differences to know.
Emily in Paris is back on Netflix, which means Emily Cooper is back busying herself at the helm of the Parisian Marketing and PR scene. And hasn’t she caught all of our attention?
Ever the influencer in her fictional world, Emily is also making waves in real life according to findings by Skyline Social, which reports that worldwide searches for ‘marketing degree’ have increased by over 75% since the show started in 2020.
For many, the show acts as a fly on the wall to the creative industry as Emily bounces between campaigns and agencies, all the while live-streaming to her fans on Instagram Live.
But - just like the depiction of Paris itself is colour-coated and stereotypical - the same can be said for Emily’s job. It might not shock you to learn that not everyone goes to work wearing a polka dot Vivienne Westwood dress, Valentino sunglasses, and Miu Miu slingbacks, but the exaggerations aren’t confined to Emily’s wardrobe.
Here are some of the main differences between real-life Marketing, and Emily in Paris.
Speed
Thanks to our waning attention spans and the need for character and plot development, Emily manages to take campaigns from idea (usually in a lightbulb moment at the 9th hour) to execution in 1 episode flat.
In reality – this almost never happens. Campaign development involves multiple stages—market research, strategy development, creative brainstorming, multiple rounds of approvals, budgeting, production, and distribution – which can take weeks or even months.
And that’s after you’ve gone through the process of getting various stakeholders on board with the idea in the first place. Sometimes, the best ideas end up being left on the cutting room floor because of budget constraints or differing opinions of those on the board!
Spreadsheets
Another element that is (thankfully) skipped in Emily in Paris - the spreadsheets! The most pressing of them being your budget spreadsheet. Not many of us drawn to a creative career relish the prospect of number crunching, but the budget sheet really does become the backbone of every campaign. No money for your hot air balloons? No hot air balloons. It’s as simple as that.
Honourable mention to the various other spreadsheets that track and capture locations, influencers, paid media, suppliers, inventory, landing pages… the list goes on. If you do find yourself working on a big project, we recommend keeping track of all your spreadsheets with… well, another Master Tracking spreadsheet, that links them all together so they can easily be found. Bookmarks are also your friend!
Social Media
We hate to say it, but gone are the days when you could move to Paris, upload photos of croissants and coffees, and promptly amass enough followers to generate genuine clout. This is true of personal and business brands. In 2024 - growth is often slow and steady and relies on some serious thinking outside the box (plus a little help from paid ads).
While this sounds bad on paper, in reality, it means we have said goodbye to the homogenous Instagram aethetic of the mid 2010s, with brands and influencers being forced to be themselves in order to attract their audience. Which is only a good thing! It just means more work in the first place to hit upon your winning strategy.
Workplace Dynamics
The workplace at Savoir and later, Agence Grateau is shown as being highly individualistic, with everyone being left largely to their own devices to get on with the task at hand.
Thankfully, for most companies, marketing is much more collaborative and you can often find yourself working with multiple departments. From Marketing, to Design, Strategy, the Development team and beyond. This is great from a development perspective as it enables you to get a look into what the entire team is doing and how your company runs.
Career Progression
Emily’s career appears to be advancing at quite a pace, with little to no mention of the years of graft it took to get there. She’s almost immediately given some of the agencies biggest clients (in spite of the disdain Sylvie has for her!).
In reality, Marketing careers tend to take a good few years to get going – and lots of marketers will tell you that the path is rarely linear. You might find yourself starting out as a social media executive, and winding up 10 years later as head of brand for a B2B company. And that’s a great thing! Try not to overthink or compare yourself to your peers. Your career journey is your own, and as long as you’re enjoying it and getting what you want out of it, sometimes it’s best to just enjoy the ride. You never know who you might meet along the way.
In a nutshell, Emily in Paris gives us a fun, glammed-up version of marketing, where charm and creativity magically solve everything—no spreadsheets in sight. And, while we'd all love to rock a full designer wardrobe by 25, in reality, marketing is more about strategy, teamwork, and data than it is about spontaneous brilliance.
Balancing creativity with research and meticulous planning is the real magic formula. And honestly, when you get it right, it's one of the most satisfying careers out there. (Plus, you can still dream about the wardrobe…)