Crisis simulation is an essential training tool for any communications team – a fact that has long been understood in industries like Oil & Gas and Airlines where the risks are obvious. Until recently the problem has been that it was extremely expensive to create and act out a crisis situation that is realistic enough to be effective. But with the advent of technology, everything has changed.
It is now possible to create amazingly realistic crisis scenarios for clients to test their communications approach and protocols relatively inexpensively. Paternoster can produce these scenarios using a tailor-made platform, developing bespoke content that is specific to the client and the “crisis” they are facing. The finished product can be accessed on participants’ laptops over the web, anywhere in the world.
We are delighted to have just developed our first crisis simulation, involving more than 2,000 pieces of content that the participants in the simulation had to address during the 45 minute session. Calls from journalists had to be responded to, radio and television reports listened to and corrected, and a constant stream of incoming information on Twitter and Facebook assessed and, where appropriate, addressed.
We conducted the simulation in real-time with eleven participants from countries all over Europe. Their feedback has been amazing – that it caused the adrenaline to kick in, and that they could really imagine themselves acting as lead communicators in the scenario, and that their crisis handling skills and confidence were built as a result.
If you’d like to discuss how we can do this for your team, please do get in touch.