Real-Time Response and Coordination for Effective Crisis Communications

Insights from a Public Health Communications Community of Practice

When COVID-19 emerged in early 2020, public health leaders faced the unprecedented challenge of helping millions of people understand a new disease and adopt behaviors that could slow its spread.

The Rockefeller Foundation worked with Hattaway Communications to strengthen the nation’s communications response by equipping public health leaders with real-time insight into how Americans were thinking and behaving during the pandemic—and a shared community that helped them translate those insights into practical action. Before this work, there was no single trusted source for guidance, and many public health communicators struggled to respond effectively in such a rapidly evolving landscape—especially as their resources were stretched thin.

Communicators felt isolated and overwhelmed. They needed real-time insight, practical lessons, and ready-to-use tools to communicate effectively in the face of a never-ending litany of emerging on-the-ground problems. To navigate the rapidly changing landscape with clarity and confidence, they needed more than communications tools—they needed a community.

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Public health leaders joined the Community of Practice

The Hattaway team organized a biweekly Community of Practice to tackle tough issues, share solutions, and apply research insights to make their outreach as effective as possible. Meeting regularly for more than a year helped build trust and shape shared strategies as the pandemic evolved.

At the same time, Hattaway’s research—including message-testing surveys and focus groups with parents, frontline workers, teachers, and health care professionals—provided a shared evidence base to guide outreach.

The community created a foundation for more coordinated and impactful communications in future public health crises. Foundations, universities, and other organizations are increasingly using Communities of Practice to support professional development and accelerate impact on all kinds of issues.

Interested in creating a shared narrative for your issue? We’d love to talk with you! info@hattaway.com