A Smoothie a Day Might Keep the Doctor Away

Sierra Minatre

Prof. Beth Saur

Rhetorical Analysis

Writing 1

19 February 2020

A Smoothie a Day Might Keep the Doctor Away

Now picture this, it is a hot sunny day in Isla Vista, you just finished biking from class and you can feel a drop of sweat emerge on your forehead. You’re craving something but you can not put your finger on it, it is something cold and sweet. That is when you see it, the extremely big Blender’s cup sitting on top of the building, it just makes you want to order the biggest size smoothie they have. This is just one of the tactics used by Blender’s to attract customers, and sell smoothies. Blender’s uses rhetorical devices to market to Isla Vista, and persuade consumers to buy smoothies frequently. 

Blender’s is a huge staple in Isla Vista, providing smoothies, health awareness, and business. Blender’s especially hits the spot after a hard practice or before a boring lecture, luckily I bike past Blender’s every single day. Every single day I see the huge cup sitting on the roof, and it causes me to take a minute to debate stopping in for a smoothie. This is of course the marketing goal for the huge cup that Blender’s had in mind. They want people to walk, bike or drive down Pardall Rd., see the huge cup on a roof, and then decide to stop in for a pick me up. The first rule of marketing is to make yourself known, and well if a giant cup doesn’t do that then I don’t know what will. The rhetoric of the giant cup is to catch your attention, it seems that every time I bike by that cup it feels like the perfect time for Blender’s. The cup uses the kairos of the moment, to get you to make a quick stop for a smoothie. Sometimes I will not even be in the mood for a smoothie, but as soon as I bike past that huge cup there is no way I can say no. 

Some people suggest making smoothies at home, it is cheaper and healthier. Well for one I do not have time to do so, and two it is really fun getting different supplements in your drink, it just makes you feel better about drinking a bunch of sorbet ice cream. This new health craze we are in can help with marketing, for instance Blender’s is able to use logos to persuade us that drinking their smoothies makes you healthier. They use the facts of certain ingredients being good for you, like their probiotic supplement which I always get, to get you to make a Blender’s smoothie part of your daily health routine. When you look at their supplement menu it is filled with facts and data about each ingredient, it persuades you to add a supplement or two. Not to mention every Blender’s comes with one free supplement, so it feels like it is expected of you to add a supplement in. Anytime I go to Blender’s I get my usual Tropical Mango smoothie with a probiotic supplement and another supplement which I choose based on how I feel that day. If I need energy, I get the energy supplement. If I feel a cold coming on, I get the immune support supplement. 

 Blender’s uses their slogan, “fresh, quick, nutritious, delicious” to show the public the standards of their company. As consumers we never want the products we consume to be old or moldy, so we look for freshness. Seeing that the company strives for freshness definitely gives consumers trust that they are putting good ingredients in their body. In this day and age we have everything quickly at our fingertips, so when something like our wifi takes a minute to load, we freak out. We do the same thing when we have to wait in line or our food takes too long at a restaurant, we want speed. This also applies to a quick smoothie stop, I do not want to end up waiting more than ten minutes for a simple smoothie to be made. Like I previously talked about, we are in a health craze which is not a bad thing, but when people are misinformed they can actually be creating bad habits rather than healthy ones. This new health trend has everyone trying “healthy” drink options, such as smoothies. Blender’s uses the word “nutritious” in their slogan to show that your health is a priority. Lastly, who would not want a refreshing, tasty smoothie when you’re having a rough day or need a pick me up.

Hence, Blender’s created the perfect slogan using ethos, they wanted to show consumers they are a trustworthy and credible business. When seeing their slogan printed on their signs or business cards, it gives the customer a good idea of what they will be getting. They are able to target exactly what the average consumer is looking for in refreshments. Before moving here to SoCal, I had no clue what Blender’s was, but within a week of being here I had gone to see what it was all about. Blender’s does a really good job of creating a quality product, enforcing their slogan with every smoothie made. 

My order always comes out to six dollars, which is a lot of money for blended frozen fruit and two supplements; especially for a college student, but I still will purchase their smoothies. The fact that Blender’s is able to convince some broke college students to spend roughly over twelve dollars a week on smoothies, is shocking. Their smoothies are a little pricey, but their competition carries the same prices. If you are looking for a cheap and healthy smoothie it is best to make one at home. 

Blender’s rhetorical use is a big factor in my decision to spend that money there. If I did not see that ridiculously large cup the first time I biked down Pardall Rd., I probably would never have tried a smoothie from there. Another big factor in my decision to try Blender’s for the first time was the hype around their products. I always would hear people talking about their smoothies, how good they were, or that they were craving Blender’s. Blender’s does a good job of using rhetorical devices in marketing to the public, from kairos to logos to ethos. They are able to persuade consumers, the audience, to buy smoothies from them given the constraints of our social culture.