Film The Joneses
American 2010 film The Joneses follows four families as they settle in a suburban community. While the Jones family may appear to be a perfect family, it is actually an undercover team of marketing agents who are hired by a company for their neighborhood to market products. They use a wide range of marketing tactics, such as personal sales and building relationships to help promote the products that they are hired to sell. This is similar to the tactics employed by modern businesses, like direct-to consumer brands that use influencer marketing and celebrity endorsements to reach customers. Some marketing strategies are questioned by the film. The moral obligation to be honest in sales is not to manipulate, but the film suggests companies might willingly bend to the rules to get a profit. In the words of marketing professor Peter Noel Murray, “Marketers want to create a positive public image for their companies, but they also need to make money” (Murray, 2019). The film is a reminder that we must be aware of how products are promoted to us, and what possible effects this can have on our choices and behaviours. Cont…