Aristotle's Appeals in Digital Age

The assignment explores how Aristotle's three persuasive appeals – ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic) – function in today’s digital communication landscape. It argues that while these appeals still hold relevance, their effectiveness is diminished by the informed and discerning nature of modern consumers who readily access information through various online platforms. The text emphasizes the evolving dynamics of marketing in a digitally driven world, where customer trust and value-driven products are paramount.

Running head: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ACADEMIC WRITING
Business Communication and Academic Writing
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1BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ACADEMIC WRITING
Aristotle had produced an important find in the form of necessary ingredients of
persuasion, which are popularly known as appeals and are known as ethos, pathos, and logos
(Users.ipfw.edu 2018). Ethos expresses an ethical way of convincing the audience that may also
be relevant to the ethical values that the audience carries. Pathos means influencing the
audience through emotional responses. On the other hand, Logos mean giving logical
explanations to the audience’s queries and influencing them with the responses (Charland et al.
2017). This essay is aimed at understanding the identified appeals of Aristotle and finding its
relevance to the different types of modern communications. Moreover, the study also
appraises a critical view on its appeals to today’s digital age of business communication.
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos can be understood with the help of the different types of
communication, which are used separately for Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. The types of Ethos
include but are not limited to like appearing sincere & knowledgeable to the audience,
opposing the audience comments where appropriate, using suitable language for the audience,
use of appropriate vocabulary & grammar and following a professional format of speech
(Users.ipfw.edu 2018). On a similar note, the types of Pathos include using an emotionally
fuelled language, giving emotional examples, using figurative language and using an emotional
tone like disappointment, sarcasm, humor, excitement, and others (Users.ipfw.edu 2018). The
types of Logos include theories & scientific facts, literal or historical analogies, factual data &
statistics, informed opinions, real examples and definitions (Users.ipfw.edu 2018).
The three kinds of appeals of Aristotle are widely used in modern business
communication. Advertisers, in particular, use the three kinds of appeals with different
products and according to the target audience. Presenting a product, which is good in quality
and is a worthy buy for the target customer and has been advertised highlighting the
factualness of the product is one of the examples of Ethos (Murthy and Gosal 2016). Another
kind of Ethos can be speaking on the fundamental rights in front of the audience. The way of
deliverance used to be ethical. The language used happens to be ethical as well (Murthy and
Gosal 2016).

2BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ACADEMIC WRITING
Pathos is related to delivering an emotional thought like advertising for a car wheel and
writing some emotional sentences for it. For example, advertising a car wheel with a photo of
the child attached to it and making the audience realized that there is so much riding on a car,
so, never ever compromise with the quality. The advertised wheel may or may not be superior
in the market, but still, the Pathos will emotionally establish it like there is no other better
option that takes care of lives of customers (Bogliacino et al. 2015).
Logos may mean to fool the audience with attractive advertisements for a product that
may or may not be a worth buy. For example, advertising Trident White as a great option to
refresh the bad breath and clean the teeth. However, it may not be effective in producing
either of the benefits. There are some other options as well like the Orbit White. However, both
of the products may or may not be effective in cleaning the teeth (Elsig et al. 2015).
It is evident from the entire cited modern business communication-related examples
that Ethos appeal is used to present a genuine or a close to the genuine level. Pathos, on the
other hand, is used to play with the emotion of customers. This may be effective in customers
who get driven by advertisements (Haider 2014). Logos are used to present logical comments,
which may or may not be relevant to the product's quality. It just means influencing customers
with logical statements.
In today’s digital age of business communication, Ethos, Pathos, and Logos exist;
however, few of those may lack in producing effective benefits in long-term. Ethos perhaps
looks like the one that has survived with valued importance. This can be understood with some
examples (Haider 2014). When a cheap budgeted Smartphone is advertised in some regions, in
particular, the Asian region, the positive aspects of the phone is only highlighted. Some of the
positive features include but is not limited to such as the price, which is a very sensitive factor
for Asian customers in particular. Now, the cheap budgeted phone will be advertised in a way
that it has everything that the target customers need. Moreover, the advertisers will compare it
with other brands and prove it as better than the all within the described price range. They will
least or probably will not speak about the areas where it lags (Haider 2014).

3BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ACADEMIC WRITING
In the above example, Ethos is being used as the product’s pricing connects this product
with the target customers. Target customers have been tried to inspire with its low budget
pricing and high specs (Haider 2014). It just resembles the Pathos appeal where the core
emotions of the target customers are being touched (Haider 2014). It has been advertised in a
way that the phone has loads of features in it, which is rarely available with any other brands
now. This shows the use of Logos appeal as it tries to communicate things, which may not be a
part of the product (Haider 2014).
The above-cited example has everything in it as it conveyed all kinds of Aristotle's
appeals like ethos, pathos, and logos. However, the advertisement might not help the product
to live up to the customer's expectations. The communication that has been tried to make
effective by using the ethos, pathos, and logos of Aristotle's appeals, may influence significant
buy at the first go (Chen, Chen and Lin 2016). However, it may not be able to sustain the earned
success. This is because the feedback from customers will start coming at the different
platforms of social sites. Customers will get to know the pros and cons of the target product.
Additionally, competitors will launch more like such products and hence, this will shift the
customer’s perceptions (Chen, Chen and Lin 2016).
To conclude, ethos, pathos, and logos do exist today but the relevancy level is much low
with the today’s digital age of communication. Ethos is probably the one that appeals to the
target audience. Customers are now educated and are getting the required information on the
different platform of social sites. It is no longer feasible to fool customers who are well versed
in the digital platform. Educated customers, who are related to the digital age of business
communication, look for products and services that give values to their trust.

4BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ACADEMIC WRITING
References:
Bogliacino, F., Codagnone, C., Veltri, G.A., Chakravarti, A., Ortoleva, P., Gaskell, G., Ivchenko, A.,
Lupiáñez-Villanueva, F., Mureddu, F. and Rudisill, C., 2015. Pathos & ethos: emotions and
willingness to pay for tobacco products. PloS one, 10(10), p.e0139542.
Charland, G., Huang, H., Li, Y. and Li, Y., 2017. Ethos, pathos and logos—A typology for analyzing
tweeting comments in scholarly articles. iConference 2017 Proceedings.
Chen, Y.S., Chen, T.J. and Lin, C.C., 2016. The analyses of purchasing decisions and brand loyalty
for Smartphone consumers. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4(7), pp.108-116.
Elsig, F., Schimmel, M., Duvernay, E., Giannelli, S.V., Graf, C.E., Carlier, S., Herrmann, F.R.,
Michel, J.P., Gold, G., Zekry, D. and Müller, F., 2015. Tooth loss, chewing efficiency and cognitive
impairment in geriatric patients. Gerodontology, 32(2), pp.149-156.
Haider, G., 2014. Analysis of Malala Yousaf Zai’s Speech: Application of Asistotle’s ethos,
pathos, and logos. International Journal of English and Education. ISSN, pp.2278-4012.
Murthy, D.M. and Gosal, M., 2016. A STUDY ON ARISTOTLE’S RHETORIC APPLIED TO
INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION. British Journal of English Linguistics, 4(1), pp.64-74.
Users.ipfw.edu. 2018. Aristotelian Appeals: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. [online] Available at:
http://users.ipfw.edu/andersi/W131F%2712AristotelianAppeals.htm [Accessed 8 Jan. 2018].