Rhetorical Analysis

This is a mailed advertisement from Comcast.
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The target audience for this advertisement is anyone who is currently accepting TV, high-speed internet, or telephone service from Qwest. They are specifically targeting a subgroup of people who do not throw away junk mail without opening it first, who are less than satisfied with their current provider, and who are not aware of other options, such as switching to Comcast or cancelling their service.

Comcast has tried to build credibility by stating at the very beginning that they know how their audience feels. They admit that they know that the audience is likely to throw away the letter within a matter of seconds. They relate to their audience by sharing a common experience with the audience, and offer to help them make a decision. They also build credibility by further showing their understanding of their disgruntled audience by telling them what is wrong with their current provider. The audience has already noticed some of these things and maybe they have not put them all together. The problems seem more numerous when they are all put in a list with bolded text.

Comcast also appeals to the audience by next offering a list of positive qualities that Comcast can offer to them. They kindly inform the audience that they are not trying to be pushy, but "the choice is yours. We just thought you should have all the facts." This makes the argument to subscribe to Comcast a logical decision. They are essentially saying, "If you are not satisfied with your current provider, and we can offer you more reliable equipment and better service for a decreased price if you order now, and you have the ability to choose which provider to hire for your needs, it follows that you will logically come to the decision to choose Comcast all by yourself, and we know that you'll figure it out, so we aren't going to explicitly tell you to." They make it sound like they have all the answers by offering their audience "all the facts." They sign the letter as if they were friends, giving the audience a positive emotional connection with Comcast.

The advertisement is ordered logically and flows in order from one point to the next. Comcast gives the impression that they are friendly and helpful by offering so much useful information to help the audience make a decision and take the next step. There are no major flaws in the argument that if you are unhappy with Qwest, you ought to be using Comcast. Everything in the ad leads up to the climax, "Comcast is the clear choice." I think that for this specific audience, this ad would be successful.