TED
Rhetoric worth spreading​
* ∗An introduction to TED: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. TED is a nonprofit organization created with the intention of spreading remarkable ideas and sparking conversation about vital topics through the context of short, enlightening videos. The original format for TED Talks was a conference at which keynote speakers and innovators from around the globe would gather to present and discuss their areas of expertise. TED has branched out considerably since its creation and now has involvement in many forms of media, community, and education. TED’s audience is wide and varied, and they seek to serve every branch of humanity in the diverse series of topics that they introduce. The idea behind TED requires the organization to use rhetoric frequently, both to convey their company’s mission and to get their name and brand out to the public. ∗TED Conferences and Speakers: Rhetoric in various forms The most significant branch of the TED organization is still the conferences they hold. At these conferences speakers and presenters show off their ideas, methods, and creativity in the form of short presentations which are then turned into the videos found on the TED website. These conferences are a veritable goldmine of rhetorical situations and they showcase the many ways that rhetoric can be used. Each speaker uses the exigence of rhetoric in a different manner, and each is equally convincing and informative. Because each speaker has such a specific issue to address, or question to answer, their rhetoric is precise and directed. For example in the artifact I chose, which is the talk Bill Gates gives about reducing C02 emissions, the question being asked is “how can we reduce the energy we use in a significant and meaningful way?”. The finding of a solution to this problem could be considered the exigence of this situation. A noteworthy way in which Bill Gates uses rhetoric is to appeal to the audience’s pathos by making it clear how harmful this situation will be for many people if it is not addressed. His language is meant to be informative, yet simple enough for the average listener to understand which serves to draw in more consumers and widen the audience that is receiving this message. He uses his body language to convey a message that he is concerned, yet stays calm in a way that portrays intelligence. This artifact is important to the organization because it rhetorically shows that they have a high enough credibility to have someone like Bill Gates at their conferences. This shows that they are leading in their field and that a consumer would be wise to spend their time and money investing further in this organization. This artifact gives credibility, ethos, and popularity to the brand. ∗TED’s Media Presence: TED radio hour TED has managed to build an impressive rhetorical image within many realms of media, be it online or otherwise. This company has a presence everywhere from YouTube to Pinterest, but perhaps the most notable way in which it exists in the media, outside of its website and videos, is the TED radio hour on NPR. National Public Broadcasting has teamed up with TED to take one hour every week and explore a different topic relating to presentations and stories from TED conferences. This particular artifact is presented in a way that is more entertainment based than some of TED’s other artifacts, it plays on contributors’ personal stories and interesting themes, which works to keep the audience interested through the constraints of an audio only outlet. In this artifact TED is presented in a different way each week, with a different group of stories and a different topic discussed. This variety keeps the audience returning to listen one week after another, and it amplifies listeners’ interest in the organization. These weekly radio shows serve a rhetorical purpose of drawing audiences in that may not have otherwise have known about TED. Many people who listen to the radio as their main source of news and entertainment may not use online forms of communication, and therefore would not have found TED through their more popular avenues, like social media and YouTube. The audience of this artifact is listeners who are already interested in the other content found on NPR stations. TED uses NPR’s dedicated audience and recognizable name to build their credibility upon. An average listener of an NPR station may be someone who is more concerned with the goings on of the world and less concerned with popular music; TED plays on this rhetorically by offering a combination of intelligent and entertaining stories that air on a station that the consumer already respects. TED also uses this artifact rhetorically by using the constraints of radio to their advantage. Because the TED talks found online are mostly audio focused (the videos are concentrated on speaker’s dialogues), the radio is the perfect medium to reflect this. TED: Ads Worth Spreading The ads worth spreading campaign is a prominent artifact to reflect this organization’s rhetoric. The idea of this project is to share and spread great advertising and award creativity within the world of promoting products and ideas. The rhetoric here is to try and convince the consumer to see ads as more than something to convince them to purchase something, but rather to see them as short stories that are trying to convince them to be part of a greater idea. This artifact works rhetorically by frequently appealing to the consumer’s emotions, the ads chosen for this campaign are often relatable human experiences that can be shared by a large number of people. The idea here is to convince consumers that advertising can go beyond selling, and move towards connecting people. This campaign works in TED’s favor by drawing attention to their brand using the consumer recognition already established by popular and recognizable brand names. The constraints of this project are within the length of the ads used, because audiences tend to lose interest if the ads run too long. So within the constraints of time, companies and individuals use rhetoric not only to capture the audience's attention for their own product, but also to bring light to TED as an organization as well. ∗Conclusion This company uses these artifacts rhetorically by using them to draw attention to their organization, to promote an idea of conversation that leads back to the mission of their organization, and to bring credibility to their name. The use of celebrities and renowned professionals at the TED conferences reinforces the company’s integrity, as well as further spreading their brand name. The TED radio hour on NPR works rhetorically to utilize a dedicated audience that may not have heard about this company otherwise, and it also plays to that group of consumers’ likes and expectations already established based on their commitment to NPR. The ads worth spreading campaign works rhetorically on many levels by spreading TED’s goals and rhetoric via more recognizable company’s ads. The ads worth spreading campaign also encourages the consumer to give more thought to advertisements in general and to consider what rhetoric can do for people as a device for human connection and shared experience. It’s clear that a writer’s position within this company would be vital. The amount of rhetoric that this company uses to promote itself and its mission is huge and multifaceted. A writer at this organization would have a vast part in making the rhetoric something that consumers are interested in and something they can feel connected to.