Local and global in cyberspace: the geographical narratives of US food companies on the internet

Summary Internet websites provide a new are na in which companies can create images and representations with attendant geographical narratives. A case study of the websites of the 20 largest US-headquartered food, beverage and food service companies reveals an extensive use of geographical narratives that play on the particular spatial dimensions of the internet. The websites of many of these companies attempt to project and situate corporate activities within a stylized representation of the local and the global, thus providing a 'space' for corporate discourse within cyberspace. Insights gained from this case study highlight the importance of geography and geographical metaphors within the discursive lives of companies. The paper concludes that corporate websites portray idealized identities within idealized geographies.