Rhetorical Analysis essay

Professor Sarah Michals

WRTG 1150

July 21, 2013

The ProAir HFA Inhaler: Good for Emergencies, Good for You

There are millions of people who suffer from asthma or similar breathing problems such as exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), exercise-induced asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These respiratory conditions are very serious and it is crucial to seek proper medical treatment. The ProAir HFA inhaler is an inhaler that treats all of these conditions. I looked on the ProAir website to find out more about this product and analyze its marketing methods. Through my analysis, I found that ProAir’s website effectively conveys that the ProAir HFA inhaler is reputable, reliable, and user-friendly, having the ability to help you breathe easier in emergency situations as well as in your everyday life.

The first step to conducting the analysis is finding the website. There are many brands of inhalers so you cannot search a general key word such as “inhaler.” That the search must be specific means that people visiting the ProAir website know exactly what they are looking for. These people might be like me and already have a ProAir inhaler for asthma or they might be people or parents of children looking to use a ProAir inhaler in the future. The people visiting this website would most likely be teenagers or adults because children seldom look up information about prescription medications.

As soon as I look at the website, my attention is drawn by the color red. There is red at the top of the page, red at the center of the page, and some of the fonts are red too. There are other colors as well, such as white and black, but these colors don’t stand out as much. This is because red is the primary color of the ProAir brand. All of the ProAir inhalers and marketing tools are red because red symbolizes emergency and ProAir inhalers are primarily used in emergency situations. This bright color also helps distinguish ProAir inhalers from other inhalers you might have that would not be useful in an emergency situation.

After becoming acclimated to the brightness of the red, my eyes are naturally drawn towards the huge numbers at the right of the screen. These numbers, 200 and 198, represent the dose counter, a new feature that is the highlight of ProAir HFA. This feature sets the ProAir HFA inhaler apart from almost every other inhaler on the market, hence their motto featured in bold red lettering at the top of the webpage, “the difference is in the design”. With each inhalation, this inhaler counts down the number of the puffs that are available, eliminating the guesswork involved with most inhalers. The numbers even turn red when you need a refill so you will always know when you need a new inhaler, allowing you to stay prepared and keep you breathing condition under control.

When most people visit this website, they probably want to learn more about the ethos, the credibility and reputation, of their inhaler company. Well, browsing the ProAir website quickly reveals that ProAir is a company that is held in high regard by the medical community. Captions reveal that it is currently the number one dispensed quick-relief inhaler on the market while the symbol in the bottom right corner shows that ProAir is a registered trademark of Teva Respiratory, one of the top fifteen pharmaceutical companies in the world. ProAir also adds to its credibility by assuring patients that their health and safety is of high priority; the lower half of the page features important safety information and even encourages patients to report negative side effects to the FDA.

The website also appeals to the pathos or emotion of website viewers. Scrolling down from the initial red-dominant screen reveals three pictures of smiling, happy adults. Each of the pictures has a caption under it that directly relates to the emotion expressed in the picture. For example, the caption on the left is about asthma, a respiratory condition that makes it hard to breathe, often causing coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath. The picture above shows a girl breathing in deeply, basking in the golden sunshine. To the asthma sufferer in need of treatment, this signifies that the ProAir HFA inhaler gets rid of these distressing symptoms, enabling you to breathe easier and be happier too. The middle caption is about EIB, a condition that makes it difficult to breathe while exercising. The picture above features a smiling couple jogging by the water, showing people with EIB that with the ProAir HFA inhaler, they too can return to the sports they love. Lastly, the caption to the right is about COPD, a condition that usually affects older people, causing permanent lung damage and makes it hard to breathe. The picture above the caption is of an older couple smiling and laughing under a clear blue sky. This demonstrates that with the ProAir inhaler you can breathe easier and have fun like you used to when you were younger. Basically, this portion of the website shows you the better life that you could have with the ProAir HFA inhaler.

Together, when both the ethos and pathos of the website are considered, the logos or logic of this website becomes very clear. ProAir took complicated medical topics such as asthma, EIB, and COPD and used a very simple website with plenty of free space to convey the idea that these complex topics can actually be easy to understand. ProAir then combined this aspect with the text and captions, the red color, and the happy images to present the audience with a central theme that is easy to understand: ProAir is useful in emergencies and helps improve the quality of your life too.

Even though this website appeals to credibility, emotion, and logic, I think it could be improved. Two shortcomings could be that it is not very personal and that it does not focus on all age groups. As a person who uses the ProAir HFA inhaler, I can attest to how useful it is in my everyday life and in emergencies. It might be helpful to include some written or video testimonials from people like me who already have the inhaler. Potential ProAir users might find it helpful to hear feedback from people who already use ProAir. And in terms of broader audience appeal, ProAir is currently neglecting a huge portion of theirs: the children. Children won’t be on this site, but parents will. Since ProAir is for ages four and up, it might be beneficial to include specific information for parents so that they feel more comfortable if their children are given the option to use this inhaler. Overall, however, I feel that despite these two areas of improvement, the ProAir website is still great a conveying its simple message that ProAir is good for emergencies and useful for improving the quality of your life as well.

Works Cited