Assessing Public Relations and Marketing Strategies in a Pandemic - A Case of Franko Trading Enterprise

Abstract

SMEs in periods of prolonged economic crisis may suffer disproportionately from economic downturns because of their limited financial resources and dependence on banks’ lending, paying such high interest rates. The World Bank (2020) findings reveal that Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced its first major economic recession in the last 25 years as a result of the impact of the COVID-19. For this reason, this study sought to assess PR and marketing strategies which can help Franko Trading Enterprise thrive in a pandemic. The study employed a quantitative approach to conduct the research. The findings of the study indicate that businesses increasingly turn to new and/or alternative methods such as social media and telemarketing to increase their competitiveness. This therefore suggests that assessing the PR and marketing strategies SMEs use during a pandemic was essential to both academia and business alike.