Prepare for a crisis and deliver under pressure

Managing crises and issues is incredibly challenging. But they’re a lot easier to handle for teams with a clear and well-rehearsed plan that stacks up in the modern media environment.

Through training, lifelike-simulations and follow-up support, we help you prepare for the challenges you face. From cyberattacks or operational incidents to hostile campaigns by pressure groups or escalating customer issues, we bring training to life with world-leading software backed up by expert support. 

We can make sure you:

• have an effective crisis plan that’s adapted to social, as well as traditional, media
• develop practical skills across your whole team – or across your global business units – to deliver under pressure
• build up experience and confidence in a secure, learning environment

How does a crisis simulation work?

There’s no one-size-fits-all simulation. What happens will depend on the scenario, number of participants, the channels you’re using and what it is you’re testing. A rough agenda includes a quick run-through of the platform with all participants, a crisis will then unfold over 2 or 3 phases followed by a debrief afterwards. During the phases, participants will be receiving a variety of communications via email, social and conventional media. With the information they are receiving, they will need to discuss as a team, develop a plan and then put it into action.

Can I run a virtual crisis workshop?

Because our Social Simulator and Crisis90 platforms are secure and web-based, your team doesn’t need to be all in one room to participate. We run virtual simulations and workshops around the world blending different video conferencing platforms and collaboration tools, alongside Social Simulator or Crisis90 for team collaboration. Find out more about virtual exercises.

Do you partner with agencies?

Yes. We work with the world’s leading communications agencies, law firms and consultancies to help them test their clients’ crisis preparedness, under custom branding on a white-label basis. Find out more about how we work in partnership.

How can I incorporate social media into drills and validation exercises?

We bring a modern approach to crisis communication: alongside the core elements such as media relations, spokesperson briefings and interview skills, we incorporate credible, realistic, up-to-date social media. We tailor scenarios and channels to your sector and region, and the participating teams. The challenging situation plays out in replicas of familiar social networks, local media and with sophisticated imagery, video and stakeholder behaviours which help a team develop the skills they need for the 2020s, not the 1990s.

How much does a crisis simulation cost?

Social Simulator and Crisis90 are enterprise-level, customised simulation platforms. Since we’re not starting each project from scratch, our costs are substantially less than some comparable services offered by other agencies.

Our pricing is based on a per-platform set-up cost, plus as much setup and deployment support to develop the media templates, social media profiles and scenario content as you need for your organisation. For that reason, it’s hard to give a useful budget out of context but we will happily discuss costs with you for a specific project.