Saying the same things differently: fighting health crises through social marketing pandemic communication strategies

Purpose Research on pandemic communication strategies is extensive in both social marketing and public health. However, understanding of these strategies remains fragmented. The purpose of this study is to integrate these perspectives to introduce a novel framework for social marketing pandemic communication (SMPC) strategies. Design/methodology/approach This study combines cumulative literature searches with a narrative review to examine pandemic communication across social marketing and public health communication research. Analysing 52 articles reveals diverse behaviour change models, theories and messaging strategies impacting public engagement and compliance during COVID-19. The synthesis identifies four distinct yet interconnected strategies. Findings The four SMPC strategies are Preventive Health, Fear-based, Health Risk and Crisis and Emergency. Preventive Health proactively encourages voluntary behaviour change to reduce health risks. Fear-based uses scare tactics to prompt immediate action. Health Risk emphasises audience-specific messaging, stakeholder collaboration and adaptable communication to address pandemic challenges. Crisis and Emergency prioritises clear, consistent and timely health information dissemination, adjusting to the public’s evolving needs. Integrating these strategies during a health crisis strengthens response efforts and enhances public engagement and compliance. Research limitations/implications This study uses social marketing principles (Andreasen, 2002) to integrate pandemic communication research from both social marketing and public health perspectives. A different framework could have led to alternative categorisations and conceptualisations. The cumulative article search, not following a systematic review approach and including grey literature without quality restrictions, may be questioned. Additionally, the focus on COVID-19 excluded studies on other pandemics, influencing the content of the strategies. A further limitation is the challenge of differentiating strategies across countries. Practical implications Authorities can use the framework to promote safety, influence behaviour and build public trust during future pandemics. Adapting SMPC throughout crises ensures inclusivity, transparency and honesty. Originality/value This study offers a contemporary view of pandemic communication strategies across social marketing and pandemic communication research, creating a solid foundation for advancing research in both fields.