‘Using the Right Words’: Rebranding Organizations Through Digital Lexicographic Information Platforms

Abstract

Even more so in the digital, multimodal age, and in a constantly changing environment, words, and particularly specialized words, still seem to have the power to play a normative and constitutive role in the processing of organizational communication flows. In this light, this paper presents what we call lexicographic meaning construction processes (hereafter LMCPs) in connection with the implementation of digital lexicographic information platforms (hereafter DLIPs) in companies and organizations (hereafter C&Os). DLIPs aim at helping C&Os pursue their mission and develop their branding efforts. In times of digital change and change communication, the strategic role of such platforms appears to be quite noticeable. The digital revolution in terminology and lexicography in general has now made it not only possible but also highly relevant for C&Os to develop their own, tailor-made, DLIPs to realize mission and branding actions in accordance with their communication and knowledge needs. DLIPs can be seen as the new fully digitalized generation of in-house terminology databases, often multilingual, in which the technical, specialized vocabulary of a C&O, in one or several languages, is stored and can be accessed by staff and/or can be integrated into language technology systems (machine translation, AI text generation). For the purpose of this discussion, the digitality of DLIPs is taken as a starting point. Analogue—or paper/printed as it were—collections of dictionaries and glossaries are not used extensively in organizational contexts any longer, which puts digitalization at the centre of lexicographic information platforms. Although similar LMCPs must be involved in the development of paper/printed works, the major difference lies in the organizational embedment since DLIPs involve staff and management in all phases: design, implementation, use and updating, and eventually replacement or shutting down. DLIPs are not simply data repositories recording the vocabulary of a C&O in multiple fields (technical, marketing, organization), they also feature interactive functionalities, including the possibility for editors and users of the platform to communicate on the design and content of the platform, suggest new words and articles, comment on meaning explanations etc. Consequently, previously well-established boundaries between terminology, lexicography and corporate communication have been blurred, as central elements of the three disciplines have merged into a new, emergent discipline, which we here will refer to as corporate lexicography. Our discussion is based on the case study of three DLIPs that bring evidence to how LMCPs trigger and frame change communication in C&Os: TDC A/S, Copenhagen Zoo, and BIVB, t0068e French Vins de Bourgogne wine board.

We wish to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editors of this publication for their highly constructive review. This enabled us to write an improved version. All other errors or flaws remain ours.