Deliberate metaphor as a rhetorical strategy for corporate identity construction

Abstract

Using Deliberate Metaphor Theory and metaphor scenario analysis, this study compares the corporate identities constructed by Huawei before and after the imposition of US sanctions. The results show both convergence and divergence in deliberate metaphors and corporate identities. Although Huawei has long been portrayed as partnership-focused, innovation-driven, talent-valued and law-abiding, the specific identities it has constructed change markedly. In the pre-sanction period, Huawei is portrayed as a confident navigator, a military-style agile organization, a discerning talent gardener, and a vigilant sentinel against organizational decay. In the post-sanction period, it is framed as a resilient and steadfast traveler, a forward-looking strategic force mobilizer in the intelligence era, a storm survivor, and a down-to-earth ecosystem cultivator, reorienting its communication focus from internal optimization to addressing external challenges and accomplishing digital-era missions. This study indicates that corporate identity is a dynamic, context-sensitive cognitive construct which enables corporations to build trust across diverse contexts.