– Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News

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From a few voices to millions.

From a few mediums

to dozens.

From verified and unbiased

to … real, fake and

everything in between.

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Preparing teams for today’s complex

communications landscape

requires hands-on experience.

And getting that from a crisis may

be too late for your brand.

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We developed Firebell as a way to stress-test teams and plans so

they’re ready when an issue emerges.

Through interactive simulations, participants defend their brand

against a real-time attack within a secure, controlled environment.

+

+

+

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“I’m sweating … that was the most valuable thing we’ve ever done.”

“My stomach just dropped.”

“We use firebell as the foundation of our entire issues and crisis training program.”

“That was terrifying and amazing.”

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1

Participants

Monitoring the conversation

Incoming media inquiries

Incoming information: news, online content, monitoring reports, videos

Moderator

Crafting a statement

Simulation pilots

Real-time content

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+ Rooted in research

+ Realistic arc plus surprising twists and turns

+ Play out over hours, days, weeks or months

+ Injects from key voices (employees, customers, media, influencers, government, etc.)

+ Flexible framework allowing for real-time inputs during the workshop

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Sample scenario topics:

Each simulation is based on a bespoke scenario and related collateral – all

fictional, based on research into your company and industry. Our process

ensures the storyline is as realistic as possible while remaining flexible so the

participants’ actions during the workshop can drive real-time twists and turns.

We work with you to

RESEARCH AND

DEFINE the issue or

crisis scenario that will

play out during the

workshop.

We research and replicate

profiles of ACTIVISTS,

ANTAGONISTS,

ADVOCATES, MEDIA

and other external

stakeholders (i.e.

regulators) so these

characters can play a

part in the simulation

We produce fictional

media stories, blog posts,

dark sites, social

channels and other

injects to ADVANCE

THE STORYLINE.

We also replicate your

organization’s channels

in our secure

environment.

The crisis ignites into a

REAL-TIME DIALOGUE

during the workshop,

exposing you to

challenging media calls,

news stories, social

channel conversations

and more as you react

and work through the

scenario.

We deliver a DETAILED

ANALYSIS of what went

well and vulnerabilities

your organization should

address in preparation for

an issue or crisis.

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1

Live comments

and posts (real-

time page

updates with

new content)

Realistic

replication of

channels like

Facebook,

Twitter, WeChat,

Weibo and

YouTube

Video

playback

Cast of

characters,

real and

fictional

All

languages

supported

Secure, online

platform with

designated

user logins

Remote

access for

off-site

teams

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You’ll want the drill participants to

include anyone who would have an

active role in managing the selected

issue or crisis in real life. You might

draw from:

+ Communications

+ Legal

+ Operations

+ R&D

+ Executive team

+ Marketing

+ HR

+ Investor relations

+ Government relations

Our team includes:

+ Senior crisis counsel

+ Industry vertical

expertise

+ Digital strategy

+ Multimedia content

production

+ Your account team (if

applicable)

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1

One training

Four hours

@ company HQ

Nine trainings

Three hours each

@ company HQ and regional hubs in Asia,

Europe, Middle East and Americas

Three time zone groups

Six hours each (simulation punctuated by

presentations and group activities)

51 group locations worldwide

(remote login to Firebell platform)

20 15-20 per workshop 500

4 3-4 per workshop plus HQ legal in person

at each session

6 (facilitating remotely from two

locations in EU and US)

Breach of secure data –

financial services institution

Consumer product issue – goal of

preventing escalation to crisis level

Mismanaged communications

around manufacturing change led to

widespread customer backlash

Role clarity among staff,

agency and outside counsel

regarding communications

plan in event of a data breach

New protocols for collaboration between

HQ and regional teams, with buy-in from

key stakeholders because they helped

develop them after the simulation

Issues management and multi-channel

content creation are at the center of

increasing collaboration between Legal and

Corporate Affairs functions

We construct workshop formats to meet your needs – not the other way around. Our proven preparatory process works because it is flexible, and we measure our success by your training objectives. Here are a few ways we have partnered with organizations, but don’t let these limit your imagination.

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Crises are inherently unpredictable, but

rehearsing in advance is proven to help

companies protect and recover their

reputations. Training and simulations are

critical and can fit into a preparedness

program at any number of points:

before developing or

updating a crisis plan,

to identify the gaps

and opportunities

to train issue/crisis team

members in using the new or

revised playbook and to test

the protocols within

new scenario annually to

reiterate protocols for existing

team members and train new

team members

when a major campaign or

announcement is planned, a

dress rehearsal of launch day

can stress-test campaign

collateral and strategy before

it’s too late to adjust course

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1

We have partnered with a global

beverage brand since 2013 to conduct

35 country- and regional-level issues

management workshops to improve

consistency and standardization in how

the company handles perennial topics

like environmental impact, human rights

and product quality.

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When a client learned of a potential issue related

to a celebrity spokesperson, they called us to

activate a workshop to prepare their team to

defend the company’s reputation throughout the

storm of the scandal.

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To prepare a well-known consumer

snack food brand for a new TV

advertising campaign the company

knew might stir some controversy, we

partnered with the creative agency to

develop an issues response plan and

then stress-tested the launch day plan

with a real time rehearsal. The

discussion resulted in changes to the

social content and pre-drafted response

messaging, and the company received

widespread praise for its handling of the

predicted criticism. Within the year,

product sales had skyrocketed and the

campaign was awarded the industry’s

highest honors for creativity and

communications strategy.

Ad agency

Facilitators

Account Team

Client

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An announcement two years in the making. An iconic brand with passionate fans and detractors

alike. A lightning rod conversation topic.

With these factors in the mix, a global consumer products company engaged our team to replicate

the announcement day war room three weeks before The Big Day. Since our Lead Media team

would also be staffing the war room, we brought in a reputation risk team from a different office to

manage the Firebell project while the account team and client focused on the announcement.

Client engages WS

for strategy and media

relations for Project D

TIME Magazine exclusive

interview conducted

War room simulation at

company HQ with 30 participants

(war room roles) and observers

(company execs and business

unit leads)

Final preparations

Firebell team begins

preparing announcement

day war room simulation

Draft creative collateral

(video, photos, social media

content) in hand

Began implementing

strategy tweaks based on

simulation learnings

Announcement day: Rotating teams

in the war room interacting with

thousands of online comments and

media inquiries. The announcement

became the #1 news story of the day

in the U.S. and related coverage

eventually garnered over 5 billion

impressions globally. Coverage

sentiment was 97% neutral or positive,

leading to the launch becoming one

of most favored campaigns in the

brand’s 57-year history.

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2 weeks: Drafting

scenario

and collateral

plan

+ IT

+ Crisis Team PM

+ Privacy Lead

Finalize Scenario

3 weeks: content creation 1 week: finalize

Facilitation team

travel and prep

Drill date

2 weeks later:

SWOT

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we created the category

for online crisis

simulators in 2010

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