#HumberTogether: For the first two weeks of March leading up to the anniversary of campus closures due to COVID-19,  Humber Today will publish stories showcasing the exceptional efforts of various departments, clubs and individuals over the last 365 days as part of a #HumberTogether Series.

Students in Humber’s Public Relations Advanced Diploma program have been studying history as it unfolds and sharing their findings as open educational resources so future students can benefit. 

Professor and project leader Audrey Wubbenhorst chose two students to execute the Communications in the Time of COVID-19 project, a website of case studies focusing on corporations navigating the crisis. 

“From a PR perspective, we were seeing a great case study unfolding in real time. We were seeing positive and negative reactions to companies on social media,” said Wubbenhorst, who is listed as principal investigator on the studies. 

She wrote a proposal, was granted funding from Humber’s Office of Applied Research and Innovation and hired student research assistants Nikita Ravi and Robert Van Horne for three months.  

“Communications used to be one-way, but now a company puts out anything and there’s an immediate reaction. We wanted to track that as it was unfolding. The students were really good at this,” said Wubbenhorst. 

Wubbenhorst, Ravi and Van Horne profiled the communications responses of nine companies and sifted through social media to gauge public opinion and response. 

Straight to the source 

For Ravi, the invitation to participate in the project came at just the right time. 

“I had a previous summer employment opportunity canceled due to the pandemic,” she said. 

She and Van Horne worked 20 hours a week for three months to complete the project. 

They profiled companies like EB Games, whose recent video game drop caused dozens of people to line up outside stores during a period of social isolation and Pusateri’s Fine Foods, a Toronto-based high-end grocery store chain. 

In addition to social media and Internet research, Ravi and Van Horne interviewed representatives from some of the corporations they profiled. 

Ravi spoke to Tanya Litte, Food Bank Canada’s chief development and partnerships officer, for the group’s case study on the Food Backs Canada: Strong Together, Tous Ensemble campaign. 

“The broadcast came at a time when a lot of Canadians were feeling the emotional effects of the pandemic and it was a beautiful tribute to frontline workers across the country,” said Ravi. 

“The conversation left me feeling inspired by [Little’s] invaluable insight into the planning process and the food shortage crisis across the country.” 

Van Horne reached out to Seasons Retirement Communities when the team began its case study on the company’s COVID-19 response and initiatives. He praised Seasons' transparency. 

“It’s a testament to the importance of a strong communications team. They were consistent in their messaging,” he said. 

“Anyone with older relatives can appreciate the uncertainty of that time and I feel Seasons really stepped up to the plate.” 

Knowledge sharing

Ravi and Van Horne are now completing the internship portion of their program. Although they have finished course work, their efforts will continue to benefit students at Humber and beyond, since their work is being used as an open educational resource, or OER, available for professors and students free of charge.  

OERs make learning more accessible, especially for those who can’t afford to purchase expensive textbooks, which are often written from an American perspective. 

“I was hoping to fill a gap in terms of Canadian and current content,” said Wubbenhorst. 

The team also created teaching notes to go along with the case studies. 

Both Ravi and Van Horne are grateful for the experience, which has connected them to people and companies and grown their professional networks. 

“The in-depth research and effective research skills gained from this experience are things I’ll continue to use throughout my career,” said Van Horne. 

“When a crisis hits, I will have insights to share that are based on experience, not just hypotheticals.” 

The website has gained attention from local professionals and the international PR community in places like Quebec, Florida and Texas, where Wubbenhorst gave a virtual talk about the research project. 

To get in touch with the team, email covid19communications@gmail.com or visit www.covid19communications.ca