Impression Management Through Visuals: The Use of Imagery in Corporate Disclosures and Crisis Response

Abstract

Companies continuously disclose information, whether though reports, such as the annual and the sustainability reports, or in social media. These in fact may represent a form of communication with stakeholders aimed not only to informing them but also to influence their perceptions and ideas about the company and its activities. A useful impression management tool in firms’ disclosures is represented by images. When carefully selected, images can evoke desired emotions and memories or redirect attention from negative information contained in the text. This thesis focuses on understanding how visual elements in corporate disclosures change when the firm is experiencing a crisis. This topic is further explored with the analysis of a specific case: the data breach scandal that Target Corporation experienced in December 2013. In particular, a visual and content analysis is performed to understand if and how Target modified the visual elements of its reports and disclosures after the incident.