In our marketing class, we’ve learned several tactics to successfully sell a product (also known as marketing). In the movie The Joneses (2010) we get to visually see the marketing concepts we learned throughout the semester in action. For example, we visually see the consumer decision making process in real time and the strategic use of segmenting. At the conclusion of the movie, it’s evident the Joneses family was selling a lie, however that’s just the nature of business.
We become aware that the Joneses family is not a real family, but that they are individual salesman pretending to be a family. They individually have a sales goal to meet and are periodically evaluated by their company. They are assigned certain products to push to their respective demographic. Because of their assigned sales goal and fixed products, the Joneses family was involved in personal selling. During one of the parties in the movie, Steve Jones shared his pictures of his adventures of Mt. Everest on his expensive television with several other male guests. He knocked out two birds with one stone in this interaction. The first being that he sold the idea that was an successful and exciting guy, and the second was he successfully pitched the benefits of the TV set bundle with the ”clearest HD picture”. Everything the Joneses family established was transactional, including friendships.
The friendships made by the Joneses was strictly transactional. In today’s business world, we refer to that as networking. However If i could pretend I was a friend of a Joneses family member before discovering their facade, I feel it would’ve been fun. I would’ve been a genuine friend, enjoyed the activities they set up, and I would’ve asked for business advice to learn from them. I would’ve been oblivious just like all the neighbors. After becoming aware of their masquerade, however, I would’ve felt betrayed and cease all communication with them. The ulterior motives by the Joneses may be considered unethical by many, but I don’t believe so.
The Joneses family moved into a retirement neighborhood with an average income of $100,000 and several golf courses. We can assume the disposable income of the families living in this neighborhood was astronomical (except the neighbors of the Joneses). In our marketing class , we learned that segmenting a product is an effective way to sell your product. The Joneses family, did exactly that. Each family member was tasked with pushing a product to a certain demographic. Jenn Jones (the daughter) was assigned to market female products to her girlfriends, but Mick Jones (the son) was commanded to introduce the alcohol beverage ”Rudy’s Rum Punch” to his next party composed of high school teenagers. I believe the Joneses family acted in a ethical manner for the most part, except selling the alcohol drink to minors and the company attempting to absolve themselves from responsibility. Nevertheless, the Joneses never forced anyone to purchase a product, and the market they targeted had the purchasing power to afford their products. The products they successfully sold, fell entirely on the consumer decision making process, something we see in our everyday lives.
The tactics used by the Joneses to push their products in similar to those used by the companies that appeal to me. Lexus made a limited production super car called the LFA in 2012. I’m obsessed with this $500,000 dollar car. They sold me the idea of having a daily driver with the power of a super car and the reliability of a Lexus. In the consumer decision process, this is called the need recognition phase. This is my rationale – I didn’t have a reason to even consider a car in this bracket because I don’t have the income, but I made the need to have an unrealistic car as a daily driver. Just like in the movie, there doesn’t need to be a special occasion for an expensive gift, but I’m fully aware the LFA is out of league (for now).
The Joneses was a perfect way to wrap up our semester. I felt I had a better understanding of the movie because of the concepts I learned in class.
