What is firebell? Read to find out more about how our proprietary, award-winning crisis simulation software and training session can help your organization.

2. – Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News
3Weber Shandwick |

3. From a few voices to millions.
From a few mediums
to dozens.
From verified and unbiased
to … real, fake and
everything in between.
4Weber Shandwick |

4. 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.
5Weber Shandwick |

5. 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.
+
+
+
6Weber Shandwick |

6. “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.”
7Weber Shandwick |

7. 1

8. Participants
Monitoring the
conversation
Incoming
media inquiries
Incoming information:
news, online content,
monitoring reports, videos
Moderator
Crafting a
statement
Simulation
pilots
Real-time
content
9Weber Shandwick |

9. + 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
10
Sample scenario topics:

10. 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.
11Weber Shandwick |

11. 1

12. 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
13Weber Shandwick |

13. 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)
14Weber Shandwick |

14. 1

15. 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.
16Weber Shandwick |

16. 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
17Weber Shandwick |

17. 1

19. 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.
20Weber Shandwick |

21. 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.
22Weber Shandwick |

22. 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
23Weber Shandwick |

24. 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.
25Weber Shandwick |

27. 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
28Weber Shandwick |

28. we created the category
for online crisis
simulators in 2010
29Weber Shandwick |