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Introduction
Walmart is a supermarket chain in the United States and one of the worlds largest retailers. The company operates under several banners, including Walmart, Sams Club, and Asda. Walmart sells a variety of products, from groceries to home items. At Walmart, the philosophy is simple: to save peoples money so they can live better. It is a philosophy that has guided the company since Sam Walton founded the organization in 1962, and it is the one that continues to drive the firm today (Catan et al. 114). Moreover, Walmarts mission and ads appeal to the public by applying emotionally captivating words and images. The company uses various rhetorical devices, including an emotional appeal to closeness with customers and tone manipulation. While the mission statement and associated ads are generally harmless and do not provide necessarily false information, Walmart might sound slightly hypocritical and unethical considering various scandals regarding the company. Ultimately, the current paper thoroughly examines Walmarts public approach and demonstrates that its emotionally-driven campaign with the usage of pathos and tone manipulation is unethical.
Mission Statement and Rhetorical Examination
A mission statement is a crucial tool for any business that provides a clear and concise statement of the companys purpose, outlining what it does and why it exists. Walmarts mission is to save people money so they can live better (Walmart par. 12). The company strives to appeal to consumers by promising that it will help them save money on the products they need and want. Moreover, it utilizes the rhetorical strategy of appealing to customers emotions by demonstrating the closeness between them and the company. Walmart primarily focuses on consumers with relatively low financial status and uses appropriate techniques to attract this demographic group (Pandey et al. 116). In other words, people with little money understand the hardships of the financial struggle and might perceive Walmarts low-cost strategy as a charitable cause. However, similar to other companies, Walmarts primary objective is not charity but profits, making the mission statement sound slightly hypocritical and unethical.
Consequently, it is crucial to examine the mission statement in greater detail to understand how the company uses rhetorical pathos to engage with its audience and communicate its values. The statement begins with a clear declaration of Walmarts purpose of assisting people in living better by enabling them to save by setting lower prices than other sellers. It immediately establishes a sense of shared values between the company and its audience; both are interested in saving money and living well (Nilufer 10). The word help also implies that Walmart is not simply about selling things but about providing a service that will improve its customers lives, representing the pathos element. This approach sets the tone for the rest of the statement, which goes on to emphasize Walmarts commitment to being a good neighbor and giving back. Therefore, the company deliberately manipulates the tone and mode of persuasion to create a sense of bonding with the people with financial struggles. Ultimately, considering Walmarts stated objective of helping people and the actual business objective of making profits, the mission statement with evident pathos appeal is unethical.
Walmart Ad Analysis
According to the Walmart website, in Walmart company ads, various shades and sizes of the products are shown to depict inclusivity for all potential customers. This tactic is likely used to display the companys commitment to meeting the needs of everyone who may visit their stores. Therefore, the commercial Live Better Now first published in February 2022 follows the same overall rhetorical strategy as the mission statement by creating a sense of mutual trust with the customers (Fig. 2).
Walmart utilizes the general theme of helping people and making the world a better place throughout the whole advertisement (Adsoftheworld). It creates a closer connection with the customer through the usage of such phrases as in your neighborhood/ just like yours/ we see your hopes and fears. Moreover, the narrative with this pathos is supported by an emotional song in the background to enhance the emotional effect on the customers. Similar to the mission statement, the commercial targets a broad segment of people with relatively low finances or who wish to save money.
Consequently, the ad does not use absolute language but rather makes subtle remarks about Walmarts efforts to improve the customers daily lives. For instance, instead of saying, Walmart makes your lives better, the company states, We are working on it every day (Adsoftheworld). It creates an additional sense of hardships that the company endures, similar to those of the customers. Lastly, the visuals support the narrative by showing a highly diverse group of people and emotions. The commercial showcases people of all ages, genders, and races to promote the issue of diversity (Adsoftheworld). Moreover, it emphasizes families with closeups of happy parents with their children smiling. Ultimately, the examined advertisement applies a wide range of rhetorical devices with the primary objective to create a powerful sense of trust with the customers.
Emotional Appeal to Customers
Walmart clearly understands the power of emotions and how they can be used to influence people. Walmart utilizes pathos in its mission statement and commercials to convince people that their company is caring and ethical. However, the reality is that Walmart does not always act this way, making it seem hypocritical. For example, they have been accused of discriminating against women, minority groups, and low-income workers (Diermeier 21). Ultimately, the primary objective of businesses is to make profits, and Walmart clearly demonstrates how the difference between the mission statement and actual goals might be perceived as unethical.
There are a few emotions that are targeted by the rhetoric in both the ad and mission statement. These include feelings of safety, belonging, importance, and caring for diverse customer needs by displaying various demographic groups. This narrative suggests that Walmart sees its customers as more than just consumers; they are individuals with real lives that can be positively impacted by company policy and products. For instance, the commercial clearly showcases how the company makes consumers and whole communities happier by providing them with affordable shopping opportunities (Adsoftheworld). In other words, Walmart does not necessarily lie to people, but it manipulates pathos to create a false sense of trust between real customers and a multi-billion-dollar corporation that prioritizes profits over anything else. Therefore, Walmarts ad campaign might be unethical and unfair to its audience because it promotes a view of the company that is not in line with its actual services and products.
Conclusion
Walmart employs pathos in its ads and mission statements to make an emotional connection with customers and employees. Walmarts mission statement speaks to the heart by emphasizing the companys dedication to assisting people to save money and live better lives. The pathos approach is crucial because it can be used to evoke an emotional response in the viewer, which can indirectly force them to buy the companys products. In conclusion, companies will always prioritize profits, and it is crucial to analyze their marketing campaigns critically to understand the reasoning behind their mission statements and commercials.
Works Cited
Adsoftheworld. Walmart: Live Better Now . 2022.
Catan, tefan, C. Grdinaru, and S. G. Toma. Sam Walton, A Visionary Entrepreneur. Network Intelligence Studies, 2020.
Diermeier, Daniel. Wal-Mart: The Store Wars. Kellogg School of Management Cases, 2017.
Nilufer, Nilufer. Critical Assessment on Business Strategy from Aviation to Retail Industry During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Walmart Case. International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293), 2020.
Pandey, Rudresh, et al. Factors Influencing Organization Success: A Case Study of Walmart. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality in Asia Pasific (IJTHAP,), 2021.
Walmart. Walmart Announces Expanded Vision and New Name for Its Media Business . Walmart, 2021.
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