Constructing Innovation: A Corpus-Assisted Comparative Study of Self-Shaped and Other-Shaped Images of a Chinese Tech Corporate (DJI)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70088/5fxbmh96Keywords:
corporate image, discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, technology innovation, media representationAbstract
Corporate image construction plays a pivotal role in shaping international perceptions of innovative technology companies operating in the global marketplace. This study takes DJI, a leading Chinese drone and technology corporation, as a case study and employs a combined corpus-assisted and discourse analysis methodology to investigate how corporate images are strategically constructed across different communicative contexts. By systematically comparing the content published on DJI's official international website, which serves as the self-constructed corpus, with relevant news coverage on the prominent U.S. technology news platform TechCrunch, which constitutes the other-constructed corpus, this research applies the discourse-historical analysis framework to explore corporate image construction strategies across macro, meso, and micro levels. The findings reveal that at the macro level, DJI self-shapes three primary images: a technology innovation leader, a multi-scenario solution provider, and a social responsibility practitioner, whereas TechCrunch constructs DJI as a global market leader, a high-value competitor, and an industry technology benchmark. At the meso level, both sources maintain consistent objective descriptions; however, DJI's self-presentation reinforces institutional authority through organizational references, while TechCrunch's portrayal links DJI to national identity through country-specific references. At the micro level, self-constructed discourse emphasizes abstract technology and value-oriented narratives, while other-constructed discourse focuses on concrete market performance and product capabilities. Based on these findings, the study proposes optimization strategies including strengthening innovation image communication, increasing data-driven arguments, and effectively leveraging narratives linked to national image, offering valuable insights for the international image construction of Chinese innovative technology corporations.References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Kaimeng Yao (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
