Social media, brand communication and customer engagement in Michelin-starred restaurants during a time of crisis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyse the brand communication on social media (SM) made by two- and three-starred restaurants and the customer reaction in terms of engagement effects during a crisis. The research highlights the connections between brand communication and engagement dynamics on Instagram by looking for differences in the strategies of two and three-starred restaurants and by highlighting the changes in the background engagement drivers.Design/methodology/approachUsing data collected from 5,666 Instagram posts by 34 Italian Michelin-starred restaurants, the authors analysed the crisis-driven changes in online communication and customer engagement comparing three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic by applying a linear regression model with fixed effects.FindingsMichelin-starred restaurants changed their strategies of brand communication to overcome the effects of the crisis. The findings highlight the importance of SM as a tool to stay in touch with consumers and the pivotal role of customers in engagement, especially during a pandemic.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is among the first studies to investigate the changes in brand communication and the effects on customer engagement during a pandemic, with a focus on Instagram. It contributes to understanding the role of platform and the main drivers of engagement on Instagram, as well as suggesting how managers can improve brand value using SM.

Social media government communication and stakeholder engagement in the era of Covid-19: evidence from Italy

Purpose: Covid-19 is a worldwide pandemic disease that changed the government communication to citizens about the health emergency. This study aims to provide in-depth research about regional Italian government communication through social media (SM) and its effects on citizens' engagement. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a case analysis, focusing on the Italian context. In detail, the authors analyse the more involved Italian regions in Covid-19 pandemic (Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Tuscany) applying the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model. Findings: The results reveal that SM is a powerful tool for communication during a health emergency and for facilitating the engagement with stakeholders. However, results also highlight a different perception about the timing of the Covid-19 crisis. Practical implications: Findings suggest a gap between the answer of the public government compared to the citizens' needs that are clear since the first earlier stage of the pandemic event. The engagement level is very high since the first phase of the pandemic event;however, to be adequately developed, it requires specific and timing information that are not always in line with the citizens’ communication needs. Originality/value: This is the first research that aims to study the citizens' engagement in the Italian regions during the Covid-19 pandemic. © 2022, Silvia Fissi, Elena Gori and Alberto Romolini.

Health Literacy and COVID-19 preventive behaviours in during the Lock-Down Phase in Tuscany (Italy)

In the first COVID-19 pandemic period, when no vaccines were available, individual behaviours were essential for controlling the spread of the virus. In this context of rapidly changing guidance, emerging new evidence, fake news and misinformation, there have been new challenges for health literacy (HL). This study explored whether guidance-compliant healthy behaviours were associated with HL in individuals who have performed essential activities (public employees and volunteers of the Civil Protection) during the lock-down period in the Province of Prato, Italy. Items on knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 preventive measures and COVID-19 risk perception, along with the Italian version of the 6-items European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q6), were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. In May 2020, 751 responses were collected;respondents were mostly males (59%), younger than 65 years old (83.5%), with sufficient HL (56%), and never smokers (54.2%). Most of the items related to the KAP towards COVID-19 preventive measures were significantly correlated with the HLS-EU-Q6 score in the total sample. In the multiple linear model, HL results to be a predictor of both a better self-reported knowledge of COVID-19 preventive measures (beta 0.32 for sufficient HL, 0.11 for problematic HL, 1.00 for inadequate HL) and a higher score of attitude towards the importance of COVID-19 preventive measures (beta 0.33 for sufficient HL, 0.17 for problematic HL, 1.00 for inadequate HL), while it has no role in predicting a higher risk perception. These findings can be useful to understand the importance of HL in promoting guidance-compliant healthy behaviours and in helping people to understand the rapidly changing public health messages and then act accordingly. Key messages Lower levels of Health Literacy predict poor COVID-19 related knowledge and a worse attitudes towards the importance of COVID-19 preventive measures. Health Literacy may be an important factor in promoting guidance-compliant healthy behaviours and in helping people to understand the rapidly changing public health messages and then act accordingly.

Monitoring People Moving during Covid-19 Pandemic in the Emilia-Romagna Region

This paper is about monitoring people movements in Emilia-Romagna : the region of Italy in which our company, Lepida ScpA, is located. The unfortunate event of the 2020 pandemic triggered by the Covid-19 virus gave us the chance to exploit our BIGDATA infrastructure to provide information to the regional Public Administration ( PA) in order to take strategic decisions to face the emergency. This goal actually corresponds to the aim with which we started last year to design and implement our infrastructure. Our monitoring project is grounded on our regional WiFi infrastructure. This WiFi access is provided for free to anyone and it is available in all major cities and municipalities over Emilia-Romagna. We describe the challenges we faced and the choices we made during the process and the final results we achieved.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of Coronaviruses circulating in insectivorous bat colonies in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe

Introduction: This study aims to establish prevalence and genetic diversity of Coronaviruses circulating in two insectivorous bat colonies in Zimbabwe. More than 60 bat species have been recorded in Zimbabwe. The country is thus a potential at risk area for the emergence of zoonotic infections from bats. Previous studies carried out in Zimbabwe included the characterisation of Dicistrovirus, Coronavirus and Paramyxovirus in insectivorous bats (Hipposideros Caffer) at one of the sites. Coronaviruses belong to the order Nidoviridae, divided into 4 genera where Alpha and Beta coronaviruses cause pathogenesis in mammals whereas the Gamma and Delta infect avian species. To date studies have linked bats to the seven human related coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-1 and -2 and MERS-CoV. The study sites represent an anthropogenic interface where human populations are directly or indirectly exposed to viral pathogens hosted by bats, thus it is of importance, to know the prevalence and genetic diversity and of coronaviruses in these sites to better monitor and establish surveillance tools that can be used to predict and eventually prevent future emergences. Materials and Methods The study was carried out in Hurungwe district, Mashonaland West province in Zimbabwe at two different sites : Magweto cave (1034 bat fecal samples collected) and Chirundu Safari (852 bat faecal samples collected). The sites were chosen due to their large bat communities and species diversity and due to the existence of bat-human interfaces. At least 4 species per site were discovered after capture and release. The two sites were sampled once a month for 6 consecutive months on an average of 3 days per site. Non-invasive sampling was carried out, individual bat faeces were collected and placed in RNAlater before laboratory analysis. After DNA/RNA extraction from the faeces, Reverse transcription was carried out on the nucleic acids using Random Primers following by classical nested PCR PCR that amplifies a 440bp fragment in the polymerase gene of coronaviruses. Positive samples were sequenced by sanger method and partial nucleic acid sequences were then compared to existing CoV sequences. Phylogenetic analyses were done by using Maximum likelihood method (PhyML). Results and Discussion: Preliminary results from the Chirundu bat community showed a prevalence of 5-10 % (obtained from 25 % of our sampling) in two prominent insectivorous bat species, Hipposideros caffer and Rhinolophus spp. Preliminary results for the Magweto cave showed a prevalence of 2-7 % (obtained from 40 % of our sampling) in the bat community of small sized Hipposideridae and Rhinolophidae, which is low compared to the other site. For the larger Hipposideros gigas from Magweto cave, prevalence of coronaviruses was between 40-50 %. The sequencing of the positive samples showed a high genetic diversity of coronaviruses with both Alpha and Beta coronaviruses represented in both sites. The positive samples were closely related to HKU2, HKU4, HKU10 and 229-E, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV coronaviruses.