Confronting climate crisis through corporate narratives: the fairy tale in LVMH’s 2020 and 2021 social and environmental responsibility reports

Abstract

Situated in the context of the climate crisis this research examines the LVMH Corporation’s 2020 and 2021 Social and Environmental Responsibility Reports through the lens of the narrative structure found in fairy tales. Central characters and the trajectory of the narrative are consistent with this literary form, and counter narratives that provide context to the corporate narrative also emerge. This analysis suggests the significance of narratives to corporate communications, their application extending beyond the brand communication or user-generated content generally investigated in the marketing and consumer research literature. Moreover, the article elaborates on how luxury corporations, like LVMH, communicate their efforts to counter climate crisis in ways that meet the expectations of stakeholders, especially investors and consumers. The findings have implications for future research on how narratives impact stakeholder perceptions of luxury corporations.