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25.Sep.2010 Total new perspective on Self-Marketing?

Filed In: self-marketing

Sure recently it has been very quiet on my blog, but for a good reason: I got a new job. I work in Marketing at a Swiss bank for global marketing programs and I am loving it. So obviously my self-marketing wasn’t so bad.

The thing that comes with it is not having much time on the side to write nice and interesting blog posts, but soon I will try to keep up again. Like I just saw the move “The Joneses” and it really got me thinking. I really like movies, which do that.

So it’s about a family that moves to a new neighbourhood, but they are fake and they are only there to make people want the stuff they have and through that make them by it. But have a look at the Trailer yourself:

Trailer \”The Joneses\” on YouTube

In one scene the big boss (Lauren Hutton) gives Steve Jones (David Duchovny) a pep talk:

Steve: “Do the clients know how this works?”

Boss: “Of course not, that’s why it’s called self-marketing. If people want you, they’ll want what you’ve got.”

So from my perspective the term self-marketing is applied totally wrong, since it should be about you selling yourself (your expertise and skills) and not the stuff you have. Although she has a point. When you are so interesting that other people like you, they could want what you have. Although I always admired strong women in politics, I would never buy what Angela Merkel wears. So how much influence can a person have on what you buy? I say a lot. Everyday magazines create new needs for consumption in us and we know that, but what happens when marketing becomes personal and when your friend could have ulterior motives showing you their new watch, bag or whatnot?

Does this go too far?

It may not be happening just as intense as in “The Joneses” just yet, but there are blog authors who serve as affiliates of other companies, shopping platforms pay you for soliciting new costumers.. so when a friend conceals his motive the next time he makes a recommendation, it already happened. But that is not self-marketing.

2 Comments
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  • http://twitter.com/patrics Patric Schmid

    reminds me of “monetize your social graph” ;)
    http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2010/09/monetize-your-social-graph.html

    to the topic, its “marketing yourself (as a person)” vs. the movie “marketing (products) with yourself”

    too far? … maybe you have seen some Eban Pagan Stuff? Where he talks about “surrounding yourself with gurus, to be perceived as a guru yourself” – he uses this method to build a reputation for himself and then, guess what.. SELL some information-products USING this reputation. maybe too far, but clever anyway ;)

  • http://christinarogge.com Christina Rogge

    yeah indeed. Thanks for your input – I will have a look at Eban Pagan, he escaped my notice.
    But I definitely could see his theory work.

    ;)