Survey: Impact of COVID-19 on the Media and Creative Industries in Hamburg

The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with a coalition of regional media and creative industry organizations, initiated a survey in September 2020 to assess the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local businesses. The primary objective of this effort was to gather anonymous data regarding the financial stability, operational challenges, and specific support requirements of companies operating within Hamburg’s creative sectors.

The scope of the inquiry covers the diverse landscape of Hamburg’s media and creative industries, including gaming, design, music, and film. By soliciting feedback from these stakeholders, the organizers aimed to quantify the pandemic's influence on business performance and identify the most pressing needs of the sector. The findings were intended to serve as a foundation for evidence-based advocacy, allowing the participating institutions to communicate industry requirements effectively to political decision-makers and to tailor their service offerings to better support local enterprises during the crisis.

The methodology relied on a brief, five-minute questionnaire distributed to industry participants, with a submission deadline of October 5, 2020. The survey was supported by a broad network of regional entities, including Gamecity Hamburg, NextMedia.Hamburg, and the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, among others. By aggregating these insights, the initiative sought to provide a comprehensive overview of the economic climate in Hamburg during a period of significant market disruption, ensuring that the voices of creative professionals were represented in regional recovery and support strategies.