The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to understand the role advertising played during a complex crisis. My book, Crisis Response Advertising: Insights and Implications from COVID-19 examines the effects of COVID-19 on the advertising industry to better understand crisis response advertising. Advertising professionals from a broad range of award-winning advertising agencies across the United States who experienced the crisis first-hand reflect on how COVID-19 disrupted the industry and what they learned along the way. It tells the story of three distinct phases in which the pandemic unfolded, the way a wide range of brands and agencies responded, and how the consumer landscape changed during the first 15 months of the crisis. In addition to responding to an unprecedented health crisis, advertisers navigated a marketplace complicated by economic pressures, social unrest, and political polarization, which influenced their decision-making and level of responsibility.
Using a grounded theory research design, the book takes readers through different levels of data analysis from the exploration of broad categories to the development of a new Complex Crisis Response Advertising (CCRA) model. Each case contains themes that emerged through data analysis, along with theoretical propositions for researchers and examples of advertising practice at various stages of the pandemic. Importantly, the new theoretical model and best practices covered in the book extend beyond application to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving readers solid theoretical and practical tools to successfully maneuver future complex crises.
This book is suited for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate courses in advertising and marketing interested in crisis communication. It is also useful as a reference for researchers and serves as a hands-on practical guide for practitioners to use during the next complex crisis.
Hi! My name is Frauke Hachtmann, and I'm a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. My research has always focused on bridging the gap between the academy and the profession and "Crisis Response Advertising" does just that.
Different Phases of Crisis Response Advertising
At the beginning of the pandemic, every commercial looked the same. But as the health crisis evolved, so did brand communication. The research for this book shows that the COVID-19 crisis unfolded in three distinct phases and each required nuanced strategic decisions and carefully developed messaging.
Endorsements
“Dr. Hachtmann has brought research on crisis response advertising to a new height. Insights from this timely study have strong implications for advertising research, management, and education globally. The book is an informative and enlightening read for scholars, practitioners, and the general public who are interested in advertising practice during the pandemic and thereafter.”
________________________________________________
Hong Cheng, University of Southern Illinois, USA
"Frauke’s book is an excellent, well-researched articulation of how brands can strategically respond to complex crises with a human-centric approach. Brands, agencies, and consultants alike can learn much from her in-depth studies in the space."
________________________________________________
Madison Cameron, David&Goliath, USA
"The COVID-19 crisis confronted brands with many unfamiliar and far-reaching challenges. This book synthesizes the resulting nuanced layers of information and experiences into practical strategies and a unique Complex Crisis Response Advertising (CCRA) model that will benefit students, researchers, and professionals across the disciplines of advertising, marketing, corporate communications, and journalism."
________________________________________________
Scott Hamula, Ithaca College, USA.
"If you’re a seasoned professional, or just starting out and you advertise, you’ll eventually face upheavals in your community and our world. Here are proven strategies from those who had to adapt in the greatest crisis of a generation. A must-read for those preparing for the future."
________________________________________________
Hal Vincent, Elon University, USA.
“This book makes a unique and valuable contribution to the literature in crisis communication by combining a rigorous grounded-theory research approach with accessible practical perspectives from advertising industry professionals sharing their first-hand insights experiencing the rapid, dramatic, and existential changes brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic.”
________________________________________________
Karen J. Cannon, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, USA