Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic is probably one of the most drastic crises of the 21st century. Due to its far-reaching dimensions, not only individual companies but companies all over the world were affected. Social distancing and strict lockdowns forced businesses to adapt their customer engagement strategies while maintaining operations amid uncertainty and changing rules. This thesis examines how marketing communication was adapted in different countries, what experiences were made, what influence political decisions had on marketing communication how customers were addressed in the selected countries, and the relevance of cross-cultural differences for marketing communications. Methodology This thesis consists of two parts, a literature review and empirical research, which was conducted with qualitative interviews. Nine semi-structured interviews with participants from three countries were conducted and analyzed using the Techniques of Qualitative Content Analysis by Philipp Mayring (2014). Furthermore, the analysis was supported by the software MAXQDA. These methods were used to get a theoretical overview and an explanation of the topics to present them understandably. The qualitative interviews offered firsthand insights from marketing communication experts during the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed precise questioning. Findings In general, it can be said that companies have had both positive and negative experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive experiences were consistently the development of digitalization and the connection e.g. via video calls, but also that companies were able to achieve positive feedback through campaigns. Negative experiences were, for example, that companies suffered financially and had hardly any planning security due to the uncertainties. Furthermore, companies had to adapt their strategy within a very short period. Another finding is that only a few companies included country-based political decisions in their campaigns. In addition, it can be said that cultural differences lead to different approaches, which shows that they are relevant for marketing communications. Value This thesis gives marketers insights into the influence of culture on marketing communication and the importance of marketing communications during a crisis. The experiences described here can be applied in future crises.
Cross-Cultural Differences and their Relevance for Marketing Communications in Times of Crisis using the Example of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Rosemann, C. (Author). 2024
Student thesis: Master's Thesis