Marketing 5.0

CHAPTER 3Prosperity Polarization: Creating Inclusivity and Sustainability for Society

The Platform is a dystopian thriller movie set in a tall prison tower with hundreds of floors. Two inmates are randomly paired on each floor. They are fed daily through a moving platform that serves various kinds of gourmet food, descending from top to bottom floor. Inmates on the upper levels can eat as much as they like and leave the rest to the lower levels. Due to the greed and selfishness of those on the top floors, most prisoners are scraping for leftovers. Past a certain level, no more food is left, starving people beneath.

There is a chance to solve the problem. Since prisoners are rotated to different floors every month, they experience both moments of indulgence and hunger. And they know there is enough food for everyone if they ration their meals. But because everyone is striving for survival at some point, nobody has empathy toward others. The story reflects the classic “Prisoner's Dilemma,” in which individuals acting in their self-interest often do not produce the best possible outcome.

The movie has received critical acclaim because it carries a message that resonates. It symbolizes imbalances in society and the social ignorance that causes them. People at the top prosper while those at the bottom suffer. And most do not seem interested in closing the gap. The metaphor also reflects the sustainability challenge that we are facing, where current generations exploit the environment ...