Would you categorize the way the Jones family lives as personal selling? Why or why not? Personal selling is persuading a customer to buy a product or service through face-to-face interaction. While the Jones family in the movie may not be selling products or services directly to customers, they promote a particular lifestyle and image to their neighbors and peers, which can be seen as a form of personal selling. They are also using their relationships and influence to influence the behavior of those around them, which is another aspect of personal selling.
What similarities do you see between the Jones family’s sales tactics and the marketing tactics of some of your favorite brands? Give an example. The Jones family in the movie uses a variety of marketing tactics to promote their lifestyle to their community, such as using social influence, product placement, and endorsements. Similarly, many brands use these tactics in their marketing campaigns to appeal to their target audience. For example, a famous makeup brand may use social media influencers to endorse their products, or a clothing brand may use product placement in movies or TV shows to increase brand awareness.
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? It depends on one’s perspective and interpretation of ethics. While the Jones family’s marketing tactics may not be illegal, some viewers may view their methods as manipulative and deceptive, as they intentionally hide their true intentions from their peers. This is not entirely ethical because you can not know if the presenter recommends this product because he loves the product or just because he gets money from the company that produces it. In Israel, we have a law that every promotion funded needs to be mentioned at the beginning of the video or advertisement in order not to mislead the public.
How would you feel if you were friends with someone in the Jones family before you found out their secret? What about afterward? If I were friends with someone from the Jones family before learning about their secret, I would initially feel angry and surprised. Discovering their true intentions might leave me feeling betrayed and deceived. The revelation of their mystery could strain our relationship and even lead to its eventual breakdown. The reason is that I would not like a friend who tries to make money from our friendship without taking care of my needs and prioritizing only business on the people he knows and seeing them as a wallet.