Modes of persuasion in the message of the northrop grumman corporation

Modes of persuasion in the message of the Northrop Grumman Corporation
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a defense and security technology provider to customers and governments worldwide (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011). In their message for marketing their company, they have used several advertising techniques in order to motivate the reader to take a positive action in favor of the company. This paper describes three techniques used, namely logos, ethos, and pathos in the company’s message, and analyses their effectiveness with regard to marketing and advertising by studying the way in which they have been used in this message.
The company maintains that it covers the five basic areas of defense, namely aerospace, electronics, information, ship building, and technical services (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011). By stating that it covers all the major areas of defense, the company is making use of logos, that is reasoning, in order to establish its mastery over the field, and to gain the confidence of the buyers. Similarly, it states that it has had the U. S. government as its customers for over seventy years (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011). Again, this is a use of logos, because if the U. S. government is an old and continuing customer, then it follows that the company must deliver what it promises, and therefore, must be the top in its area. Therefore, the customer is drawn to the company due to the use of logos in their message.
The company gives its history and states its evolution into a corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011). It traces its development through the years and points out the periods of growth in its journey (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011), thereby developing credibility or ethos in its customers. It also gives the statistical figure of the thousands of workers that it employs (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011), further strengthening the credibility of the readers of their message; if a company has a clean and developing history, and if it employs so many workers, then there could be no doubts about its credibility. The message, hence, has effectively used the technique of ethos to appeal to its customers.
The statistics about the employees (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011) can also serve as pathos or emotional motivation. Moreover, it states that it has been constantly improving in terms of techniques and business (Northrop Grumman Corporation, 2011), further making use of pathos. By naming its newest aircraft after a U. S. president, George W. Bush (Gizmag, 2011), the company is making use of the technique of pathos; all U. S. citizens and in fact, all global citizens, would have some feelings attached with that name. It further states that the ships and crafts it designs for the U. S. Navy are essential for its force and for defense (Gizmag, 2011), and are continuing to prove very useful (Gizmag, 2011), thereby targeting its customers through pathos. This proves that the use of the persuasion technique of pathos is quite effective, as it has strengthened the message of the company.
This discussion and analysis on the use of the different rhetorical methods of marketing by the Northrop company in their message clearly highlights the importance and effectiveness of appealing to the customer through the use of logos, ethos, and pathos. The use of all these techniques have rendered the message very motivating. Evidently, their use is important in advertising and marketing.

References
Gizmag. (2011). Northrop Grumman to build first new aircraft carrier class.
Retrieved from http://www. gizmag. com/northrop-gruman-to-build-new-aircraft-carrier-in-40-years/10017/
Northrop Grumman Corporation. (2011). Annual Report. Retrieved from
http://www. northropgrumman. com/annual_reports/