This book advances knowledge about strategic communication with an aim to improve the practice of strategic communication in unprecedented times. It stimulates serious scholarly research on strategic communication and its management and execution during challenging times, such as the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The book is organized into three sections, with the first section presenting an overview of the main theoretical models of strategic communication from around the world when investigating its relationship in managing the global pandemic. The second section offers diverse perspectives on the role of strategic communication in challenging times, ranging from government communications, organizational leadership, leadership communication, to influencers on social networking platforms. The final section focuses on building frameworks that can be used to facilitate public health response plans through strategic communication before, during, and after pandemics and/or other acute risk issues or societal traumas.

By providing a range of strategic communication scholarship grounded in different academic disciplines and cultural and political contexts, this volume offers an international perspective for scholars and educators to understand the complexity of the topic itself. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Strategic Communication.

Juan Meng, PhD, is the Head of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia, USA. She serves on the national advisory board of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) ELEVATE. Her research specialisation includes public relations leadership, leadership development, women and leadership in PR, and global communication.

Ralph Tench is Professor of Communication and director of research for Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and past president (2017–2020) of the European Public Relations Research and Education Association (EUPRERA). Professor Tench’s research involves national and international funded projects from the private sector, the EU, public health and research councils.