Coca Cola Rhetorical Analysis

The complete correspondence between an executive of the Coca-Cola company and a representative of Grove Press holds many rhetorical strategies on the parts of both authors, that are used by each to achieve their own unique purpose. The use of rhetoric strategies is more effective in the content of the most persuasive case presented, the one argued by the representative of Grove Press, as he is the one who dictates the outcome of the argument. Grove Press's intentions to continue it's use of the phrase, "It's the real thing," were effective because the arguments presented in the representative's letter, along with the rhetoric strategies used, were stronger and therefore a more potent satire.

For one, Grove Press uses sarcasm to make points that are valid. "We have instructed all our salesmen to notify bookstores that whenever a customer comes in and asks for a copy of Diary of a Harlem Schoolteacher they should request the sales personnel to make sure what the customer wants is the book, rather than the coke." This statement made by the Grove Press representative is

an example of a key point made in his letter, that a customer confusing a coke with a written novel would be ironic. However the author states this in a way where the tone pokes fun at the Coca-Cola Company for ever even pretending that the possibility of a mix-up could be a strong argument. The Coca-Cola Company did use sarcasm, but only to create a passive aggressive tone in their letter to Grove Press, not to create an argument. Using sarcasm to create an argument is the most effective way to win an argument because that undervalues the points made of the person with the opposite perspective.
Secondly, Grove Press uses parody in order to make a direct mockery of Coca-Cola's attempt at sounding intimidating. "Those who read our ad may well tend to go out and buy a Coke rather than our book. We have discussed this problem in an executive committee meeting." Here we see this key point - which was stated sarcastically - imitating the style of the Coca-Cola Company's power play in the introduction of their letter. Coca-Cola explains that several people have informed them of a potential problem with the same phrase used by two different companies, in order to make the issue seem like a larger problem than it really is, and to add legitimacy to their argument. However Grove Press responds by basically saying that seven of their executives had their own meeting and voted that using the phrase was not a big problem. The Grove Press author made sure to include the executive part into that sentence in order to make a parody of the emphasis the Coca-Cola Company's executive puts on his own title. Parody used in the argument against Coca-Cola was effective in belittling their arguments and making them seem futile in comparison to Grove Press's clever comebacks.
Lastly, Grove Press uses satire in order to criticize Coca-Cola's stupidity, and to harp on their last major point.

"... Games People Play has become a part of our language, and one sees is constantly in advertising... the same is true in another book which we published six or seven years ago, One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding." Here, we see Grove Press calling Coca-Cola out for playing games, trying to claim ownership over, "It's the real thing," when in reality they know as well as anyone that the very idea of anyone owning that phrase is ridiculous, especially in the context of Coca-Cola's argument. They go on to make sure Coca-Cola knows that this is not a game they want to play with Grove Press, and if they continue to try they will be sued. This satire was effective in helping Grove Press deliver their larger story argument with a painful, lasting jab they want Coca-Cola to

remember.
In conclusion, Grove Press was able to continue their use of the phrase because the rhetorical devices they used strengthened their argument, which was no match for the Coca-Cola Company's argument. Sarcasm, parody, and satire were the literary devices that aided the persuasiveness of Grove Press's argument, ultimately helping the author to achieve his purpose of belittling the Coca-Cola Company and stopping them from attempting to threaten Grove Press with the same issue ever again. Grove Press presented the best case, and won it as well