• Would you categorize the way the Jones family lives as personal selling? Why or why not?

I would categorize the way the Jones family lives as personal selling. Due to how they advertise the products they want to push out. When seeing the item in action the buyer may be more inclined to take interest since they see the product or service in action. The Jones family uses their lifestyle to show the use of the products. 

• What similarities do you see between the sales tactics the Jones family employs and the marketing tactics of some of your favorite brands? Give an example.

One similarity I see between the sales tactics the Jones family employs and the marketing tactics of some of your favorite brands such as apple, knowing who your audience needs and trying to find the best way to speak and through them. In order to maximize sales you need to focus on your goal and target.

• Based on what you read in the course materials and what you observed in this movie, do you think the way products are marketed in this movie is ethical?

The products that are marketed in this movie aren’t necessarily unethical. They are using the method that works best for them. The Jones family aren’t really forcing customers to buy the products. Any other seller would push for sales but as long as they don’t cross a line.

• How would you feel if you were friends with someone in the Jones family before you found out their secret? What about afterward?

I am the type of person where I love to spend money on things that catch my attention. So before I probably would have spent so much money as a friend with someone in the Jones family. However afterward I would just want to understand why. Also, I would feel weird as in I thought they were a different person.

Would you categorize the way the Jones family lives as personal selling? Why or why not?
I think this is more in the line of “influencers” than direct selling. And I think picked up on how social media influencers were becoming a think (the movie being made before they were a household word). But the movie unit did not do direct sales the way that the neighbor character was with her skincare items.

What similarities do you see between the sales tactics the Jones family employs and the marketing tactics of some of your favorite brands?
Much like advertising in the real world, the Jones family used “this will make you seem sexy/get you laid” as a key way to push items that have no direct connection to sex (like cars and jewelry).

Based on what you read in the course materials and what you observed in this movie, do you think the way products are marketed in this
movie is ethical?
No – I don’t think it is ethical to do sales pitches for items you may not even be personally a fan of without disclosing that you were paid to do this.

How would you feel if you were friends with someone in the Jones family before you found out their secret? What about afterward?
I personally am not a fan of having stuff just for the sake of having things and likely would not have talked to them much (or just found them snobby). But, I am a big fan of “things that legitimately make my life better” so probably I would have been interested in the toilet! Finding out after, definitely betrayed and hurt: how much was lies? How can you even tell in that situation when the lying has ended or begun again? Something our characters also struggled with.

After watching the film, The Joneses, I would categorize the way the Jones family lives as personal selling. The Jones family uses in-person interaction to sell products and services. They are the sales representatives and the personal connection between buyers and a company’s products and services. In the movie, the family isn’t a real family, they are marketers that influence groups of people by being the first to know about or use something. They impersonate a family and show off the nice things they have to friends and neighbors, so that these people are influenced to purchase more and more of the products.

There are several similarities between the sales tactics the Jones family employs and the marketing tactics of different brands and companies. Many brands use social media marketing to get their brands name out. This occurs all the time on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, etc. Like the Jones family, companies aim to create buzz, foster communities, as well as facilitate two-way communication. Brands will have social media influencers promoting their products in photos and videos they upload onto their platforms. Brands know these influencers have the power to attract a lot of consumers to buy their products. The Jones family targets people in groups as well. For example, the “father” would go golfing and meet people he could promote golf equipment to.

I think that the way products are marketed in this movie is unethical. The Jones family lies to all the people around them, making them think they are a real family. The only reason they are talking to and getting to know their friends and neighbors is so they could keep increasing in sales. They are manipulating everyone they know by building relationships with these people. Once a relationship is built, then trust is built. This is unethical because they aren’t worth anyone’s trust, the life they are living is a complete lie.

If I was friends with someone in the Jones family before finding out their secret, I would feel like I have someone I could always rely on. I would feel very appreciative of them, want to be like them and life a similar life to them. After finding out their secret, I would feel ashamed and would be hurt by their dishonesty. The fact that they were using me would bother me very much. After going through something like that, I would probably develop trust issues. It would take much more convincing for me to trust people moving forward.

Nebel Alsaidy

Professor Buckler

MAR 100

15 December 2023

The Joneses

            After watching the film “The Joneses” I would say that the way the Jones family lives is categorized as personal selling. Personal selling involves face-to-face communication between the sales representative and consumer to influence them to buy a product. The Jones family discreetly use this strategy by showcasing various products; like hair shampoo, tracksuits, golf clubs, etc… directly in front of potential consumers. The way they live serves as a persuasive tool, subtly conveying the usefulness and desirability of the products they use daily.

The Jones family uses marketing tactics that relate with some of my favorite brands, particularly in the use of attractive, or skilled individuals to showcase products. A notable example from the film is when Steve Jones demonstrates exceptional golf skills, this made the golfers around him think the golf club is the reason. This is similar to the strategy employed by Nike, a favorite brand of mine, which collaborates with the NBA to create jerseys branded with their logo on every player. Just as Steve’s golf skills increased the appeal of the golf club, associating Nike with skilled NBA athletes enhances the desirability of Nike products.

No, I do not believe the way products are marketed in this film is ethical. Today, there’s a lot of pressure for people to conform and fit in with their peers. This growing need for social acceptance can strengthen people’s insecurities, making people feel “not good enough” until they acquire specific products. The strategies employed by the Jones family in the film are highly unethical as they capitalize on people’s vulnerabilities, manipulating trust for financial gain.

If I were friends with someone in the Jones family before learning about their secret, I imagine my feelings towards them would be similar to those I have for my other friends. While I might not be as susceptible as portrayed in the film to buying their products, I acknowledge that their lifestyle could influence my perceptions of the products they use. However, if I were to find out about their secret afterward, I would feel completely betrayed as a friend. The realization that our friendship was exploited for financial gain would lead me to cut them off completely.

Esther Kessie

The Joneses

In “The Joneses” film (2009), the Jones family lifestyle can described as personal selling. Promoting products in the life that the family pretends to live, allows them to gain personal benefits. This act of persuasion forms a transaction sale benefitting the Jones family. Similar to the this, some brands include production into peoples life by using things such as influencers and lifestyle marketing. For example Macys sales associates may include tactics similar to the Jones family by creating a tempting shopping experience, highlighting the inspirational lifestyle associated with their products. This process involves showing off merchandise in display cases, providing personal recommendation, and emphasizing a sense of connection between the customers and their brand. Additionally, sales associates may use a persuasive tone of communication to emphasize the fundamental aspect of the product, a technique used in The Joneses family’s subtle influence on their neighbors in the film. In regards to ethics in the movie, it forms questions about transparency and authenticity, If the public finds out about this it may negatively affect the companies that use this technique and create a sense of distrust. Promoting a realistic lifestyle based on lies is risky for a company to partake in this endeavor, or in the life of a social media influencers a technique like this may tarnish their image in ways that may be difficult to rebuild. The nature of the Jones family’s promotion blurs ethical lines, raising concerns in real- world marketing about honesty and principals in advertising.

Keilyn Navarrete

Professor Buckler

MAR 100

December 17,2023

1. Personal selling is a way to make sales through skills and actions. The Joneses do personal selling, however they do it in a different way. The Joneses lifestyle is a way of personal selling, the family’s way of selling is through their lifestyle and socializing to make sales in the products.
2. The Joneses family connects with costumers in a socializing way, and their lifestyle is what makes sales, this is a similar concept as brands in the real world connecting to costumers. Brands make a connection with their costumers through celebrities and influencers. One example is makeup companies like Ulta Beauty, they make collaborations with influencers either through makeup products or through promotion. These influencers and celebrities are people costumers love to see therefore, they are more likely to buy the product.
3. I think the marketing in the movie is unethical because the Joneses family creates a trust bond with costumers , therefore it makes costumers believe all products are good, yet they are being manipulated with the trust from the Joneses family; taking away the transparency and the authenticity needed to be ethical.
4. If I was friends with the Joneses family before I knew their secret, I would probably feel admiration about their lifestyle and would have wish to have a lifestyle like that. However, after I found out their secret I would just see them in disappointment because they faked a lifestyle to create sales, being a marketing strategy, and the costumers being manipulated victims.

1. I think we can categorize the Jones family as personal selling. In the film, the family act as discreet salespeople, promoting products during their daily lives and their meetings with neighbors. They offer many luxury products which attract many “customers”. They do not present themselves as salespeople to customers, which corresponds to normal personal sales. The Jones family sells their products more subtly, which can be categorized as personal selling.
2. The marketing tactic used by the Jones family is very similar to the marketing tactic used by influencers on social media. Influencers will promote products which most of the time are either of poor quality or are not authentic. But the fact that they have thousands or even millions of followers means that many people have complete confidence in them. We can also see that this tactic is not ethical, for example in France where the government has recently imposed numerous rules regarding the promotion of products by influencers on social media.
3. I think the way the products are marketed in the film are unethical. The main reason is because they manipulate their buyers by creating a personal relationship of trust which impacts the buyer’s ability to make their own decision. Buyers are unable to prove the authenticity of the products, but the trust they have in the Jones family erases any possible doubt.
4. At first glance, the Jones family seems friendly, and it would be very difficult to notice their game. They attract trust and I will probably not suspect that our friendship is in reality fake and that it was used as a marketing tactic. After discovering the secret, I would probably question all my other friendships and I would probably feel sorry for myself for being so stupid and naive. I will ask myself how I managed to give my complete trust to someone who has just entered my life and who’s past I don’t really know.

In the film, ‘The Joneses’, the way the Jones’ family lives can be seen as a form of personal selling, but in a unique way where they add their spin. Instead of using traditional sales methods, where a salesperson directly interacts with potential customers, the Joneses are essentially living advertisements. They promote products through their lifestyle and interactions with neighbors, creating a personal connection that goes beyond typical advertising and creates a stronger bond and ties to the products themselves.

Their sales tactics share similarities with influencers and their marketing. Many brands use influencers to promote their products by integrating them into their daily lives, creating a more personal and relatable connection with the audience. Streamers like Kai Cenat, Pokimane, Logan Paul, KSI, etc, all do this. Influencers often flaunt a desirable lifestyle that includes the use of certain products and use product placement wherever they see fit. We see the success in these influencers’ personal brands such as Mr. Beast and his many chains (Feastables, Beast Burger, Beast Philanthropy) and KSI and Logan paul with PRIME

The ethical implications of the marketing tactics in the movie are subjective and can be interpreted in different ways. On one hand, the Joneses are not transparent about their true intentions. This lack of transparency raises ethical concerns as it manipulates people’s perceptions and decisions, but game is game. The Joneses aren’t forcing anyone to make specific purchases.

If I were friends with the Jones I wouldn’t really care or feel deceived. They could never catch me lacking cause I’m cheap. I may see the Joneses as victims of a larger system and empathize with the challenges they face in maintaining authenticity in a world driven by consumerism but other than that I wouldn’t care. It’s their life, not mine.

The Joneses is a film that illuminates the darker side of materialism in our society, but within this surreal buy-and-sell dynamic are openings for crucial marketing discussions. The Joans are a family whose sole purpose is to sell products, managed by a larger organization that uses families like them to promote goods. These fabricated, seemingly atomic families are made to possess the latest goods and sell them to others within their communities through social interactions.

I would categorize how the Jones live as personal selling due to the organized and strategic shadow elements that were puppeteering them. This week’s reading taught us that the “personal seller” is the “connection between the buyer and a company.” As the Jones were the middleman in this operation, paid for by a larger company, they were acting as sales representatives without the knowledge of the buyers.

There are several similarities between the sales tactics employed by the Jones family and real-world brands I admire. An excellent example of this is Chobani, a brand I hadn’t known much about until taking this course and developed with a similar ripple effect technique. However, Chobani organically employed these by offering a self-marketed product, gaining mass popularity on social media, and higher-ups paid the Joneses to promote the season’s hottest products for a living. The practice of placing a product in the hands of famous/likable community members is increasingly present in the wake of social media; we now have PR, influencers, celebrity culture, and a mass of more strategic tactics with similar motifs.

Because of the prior sentiment, I don’t feel that the marketing strategy the Joneses practices was unethical if we were holding them to our society’s standards. It may have been extreme and bizarre, but at the end of the day, they were doing the same thing other companies have: presenting a product to people who would likely be interested (creating a ripple effect.) The movie’s dark ending may convince viewers otherwise, but I feel that the negative repercussions of this family’s lifestyle speak more to the problems within our materialistic society. Larry’s suicide reflects his mental health more than anything. He saw a family that had everything and fell into a deep well of jealousy. A similar dynamic could quickly emerge from a parasocial relationship with a celebrity or an overwhelming amount of product ads and marketing on Instagram. If we let companies pay influencers to promote products, and similar dynamics occur naturally, my question would be: why can’t a company pay a family to do the same full-time?

If I were friends with someone in the Jones family, I would be excited by all of the possessions they had, and honestly, having someone who could hand-pick products for me would make life easier. However, it would be highly draining if I couldn’t afford to keep up. Upon discovering their secret, if the friendship truly only centered around materialism, I would be alarmed at the fabricated nature of their family. Still, depending on its depth, I am unsure if that would signify an end to the friendship.