Image Restoration with New Technology

The article examines the role played by the corporate website while a company - Arla - attempted to restore an image tarnished by unethical behaviour. The company's strategy focussed on dialogue: it introduced a large number of authentic employees in their natural role as cook, dairy farmer, etc., and made them available to readers as experts providing inspiration and advice, or as writers blogging about the world of company, or as responsible people answering readers' frank questions about their practices in an open forum. It is argued that the electronic platform allowed the company to substitute their image as a faceless monopoly with a humanized, personalised version. However, it should also be questioned if, in the long run, it was the image campaign rather than the visible efforts of the company to behave with consideration that brought about the desired change. Keywords: Image restoration, corporate communication, consumer dialogue