A Multimodal and Pragmatic Analysis of the Environmental-Friendly Corporate Identity of Apple

Abstract

As environmental problems become increasingly serious, people are more aware of the importance of the environmental protection. Accordingly, companies have realized the necessity and significance of constructing an environmental-friendly identity. Environmental-friendly corporate identity is currently receiving an increasing amount of attention in the literature on corporate identity construction. The present study has continued that focus by investigating the environmental-friendly corporate identity of Apple. The new product conference, which is held online by Apple in October, 2020 is chosen as the research material. The present study is different from previous research on new product conferences or corporate identities, for it offers a multimodal analysis of the data within the framework of the Relevance Theory. The purpose of the study is to explore how Apple constructed its environmental-friendly corporate identity while rationalizing its announcement in the new product conference. Findings from the study indicate that the environmental-friendly corporate identity of Apple is constructed in the new product conference through the interplay of main modes, such as language, visual images, gaze and gestures. The findings of the study not only contribute to prove the feasibility of multimodal analysis of the new product conference under the Relevance Theory, but also shed light on the studies of environmental-friendly corporate identity construction.