TOW 24 - Visual Text: AP Chemistry CliffsNotes Prep Book

Writing Goals: 
Have analysis be concise and go back to the thesis

Reading Goals:
Analyze a piece relevant to current teenagers

     I am stuck in my room, preparing and studying hard for all of my upcoming mocks and AP exams. Utilizing my notes from class and online resources, I start to wonder why I bought a prep book. What was most shocking was the fact that I bought one by CliffsNotes rather than one by The Princeton Review or Barron's. It occurred to me that CliffsNotes, primarily a series of student study guides, strategically employed attention-grabbing colors, large font, and appealing information in order to have students buy its books.
     Going through the bookshelves containing a lot of preparatory material, I see books colored white and/or blue. CliffsNotes, however, intelligently designed its books to be black and yellow. Of all the material present, the bright yellow cover page of these prep books stands out from the rest. This gives CliffsNotes the ability to subtly force customers to pick up a CliffsNotes book and take buying one into consideration. Though it may not be the only factor determining a buyer's decision as to which book to buy, CliffsNotes indeed ingrains a mental note regarding its prep books in a consumer's mind.
     The luring quality of CliffsNotes prep books is further compounded by the large font on the front cover, back cover, and the spine of the book. The huge letter spanning across the book reveal the subject it entails, its edition, and its makers. Combined with its unique colors, the large text continues to play a role in having students consider CliffsNotes as a viable option. The book immediately informs people of what it covers and makes people think something along the lines of, "I have found what I was looking for" and plays a role in having people buy it. However, there is one last aspect that aids customers into actually buying CliffsNotes.
     The final strategy that convinces students to buy these prep books is the basic information regarding the material. By adding "proven test-taking strategies" and "focused reviews of all exam topics," CliffsNotes explicitly tells potential buyers its books contain everything they need to know for the AP exams. Inadvertently, buyers will flip through the book, and after seeing the detailed pages filled with pictures, they will most likely have a strong urge to buy CliffsNotes prep books.
     CliffsNotes, a successful company that provides academic aid to students, can successfully achieve its purpose of persuading consumers to buy its preparatory materials. By being created with attractive colors, large text, and appealing facts, CliffsNotes was able to become a prosperous service to students as it is able to help students do well on AP exams while profiting at the same time.