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Act of kindness: A study on modern day crisis handling and its effect on brand identity

Hertanu, Teodora LU ; Bertelsen, Mette Holm LU and Jeppesen, Mads Hüsig LU (2020) In LBMG Strategic Brand Management - Masters Paper Series BUSN21 20202
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to explore and examine how companies have reacted to suddenly occurring crises in the 21st century. The paper will investigate how companies have adapted – or stayed in hiding – during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this has impacted their corporate brand identity and their core values. The paper will introduce a new framework to be used for assessing the strategic approach for companies during hard times.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper will consist of a literature review on the topic, as well as case studies on several companies who have positively or negatively adapted their offerings as a response to the Coronavirus crisis. These companies have taken an aggressive, adaptive, or innovative approach to... (More)
Purpose: This paper aims to explore and examine how companies have reacted to suddenly occurring crises in the 21st century. The paper will investigate how companies have adapted – or stayed in hiding – during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this has impacted their corporate brand identity and their core values. The paper will introduce a new framework to be used for assessing the strategic approach for companies during hard times.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper will consist of a literature review on the topic, as well as case studies on several companies who have positively or negatively adapted their offerings as a response to the Coronavirus crisis. These companies have taken an aggressive, adaptive, or innovative approach to crisis handling, and this paper will investigate the different approaches and their effect on the core values of their brand.
Findings: This paper presents a new framework for companies to decide which strategic approach to follow when a global crisis hits. Through case studies it is clear that companies cannot rely on their regular CSR policy, as a global crisis goes way beyond that. The brand core can be extended in three different ways; the innovative approach, the aggressive approach or the adaptive approach. This paper also finds that the last approach, the passive, should only be used when a company is not directly affected negatively by an ongoing crisis.
Research limitations/future research: One key limitation of this paper is that only a selected number of cases have been analysed. Further, it should be noted that the analysis has been done from an outside-in perspective, and for further research an inside-out perspective should also be considered. A different methodology can also be followed, by using media coverage and / or by interviewing former executives.
Theoretical implications: The paper introduces a new theoretical framework, which is tested on the COVID-19 crisis, but further analysis should be done on other crisis situations to further prove its validity.
Practical implications: This paper shows how companies, big or small, can react to global crises while also managing their brand identity.
Keywords: Crisis management, crisis handling, act of kindness, core values, product offerings, strategy approach
Paper type: Research paper (Less)
Popular Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to explore and examine how companies have reacted to suddenly occurring crises in the 21st century. The paper will investigate how companies have adapted – or stayed in hiding – during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this has impacted their corporate brand identity and their core values. The paper will introduce a new framework to be used for assessing the strategic approach for companies during hard times.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hertanu, Teodora LU ; Bertelsen, Mette Holm LU and Jeppesen, Mads Hüsig LU
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN21 20202
year
type
L1 - 1st term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Crisis management, crisis handling, act of kindness, core values, product offerings, strategy approach
publication/series
LBMG Strategic Brand Management - Masters Paper Series
language
English
id
9038883
date added to LUP
2021-03-10 12:44:04
date last changed
2021-03-10 12:44:04
@misc{9038883,
  abstract     = {{Purpose: This paper aims to explore and examine how companies have reacted to suddenly occurring crises in the 21st century. The paper will investigate how companies have adapted – or stayed in hiding – during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this has impacted their corporate brand identity and their core values. The paper will introduce a new framework to be used for assessing the strategic approach for companies during hard times.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper will consist of a literature review on the topic, as well as case studies on several companies who have positively or negatively adapted their offerings as a response to the Coronavirus crisis. These companies have taken an aggressive, adaptive, or innovative approach to crisis handling, and this paper will investigate the different approaches and their effect on the core values of their brand.
Findings: This paper presents a new framework for companies to decide which strategic approach to follow when a global crisis hits. Through case studies it is clear that companies cannot rely on their regular CSR policy, as a global crisis goes way beyond that. The brand core can be extended in three different ways; the innovative approach, the aggressive approach or the adaptive approach. This paper also finds that the last approach, the passive, should only be used when a company is not directly affected negatively by an ongoing crisis.
Research limitations/future research: One key limitation of this paper is that only a selected number of cases have been analysed. Further, it should be noted that the analysis has been done from an outside-in perspective, and for further research an inside-out perspective should also be considered. A different methodology can also be followed, by using media coverage and / or by interviewing former executives.
Theoretical implications: The paper introduces a new theoretical framework, which is tested on the COVID-19 crisis, but further analysis should be done on other crisis situations to further prove its validity.
Practical implications: This paper shows how companies, big or small, can react to global crises while also managing their brand identity.
Keywords: Crisis management, crisis handling, act of kindness, core values, product offerings, strategy approach
Paper type: Research paper}},
  author       = {{Hertanu, Teodora and Bertelsen, Mette Holm and Jeppesen, Mads Hüsig}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{LBMG Strategic Brand Management - Masters Paper Series}},
  title        = {{Act of kindness: A study on modern day crisis handling and its effect on brand identity}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}