Institutional brand communication management in pandemic times: the engagement of publics

This chapter begins with a review focuses on the publics and new publics that crisis periods can present. It looks at the pandemic crisis caused by Covid-19, discussing the impact on brands and analyzing the communication of institutional brands in Portugal during the time of crisis. The chapter analyzes the case study of the University of Minho in crisis communication during the pandemic time, believing it to be a social brand concept. In the case of the University of Minho in Portugal, the crisis caused by Covid-19 implied, precisely, this communication with several ‘layers of information’ considering the diversity of the institution’s preferential publics and the new publics. Founded in 1973, the University of Minho is currently a public foundation of private law, organized in 11 schools and hosts about 20,000 students, operating in two campuses. Hence, the authors consider it appropriate to study the risk management campaign carried out by a public university.