Crisis Escape Game: Will You Save Your Brand's Reputation?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: to save your company's reputation by making the right decisions. 🎯 To avoid media catastrophe, every decision counts. Will you be able to make the right choices and avoid #FailOfTheYear? What kind of crisis management pro are you? 💪 Survival mode activated! 

Step 1 – Detection operation  

It's 9:12, you've just poured yourself a coffee and you're about to have a great day... It's a failure, a bad buzz comes to turn everything upside down ! The origin of this cataclysm? A viral post on X (ex-Twitter) accusing your brand of mistreating unicorns, with a video to back it up, no less! 🦄 It's not true, but already the mentions are going crazy and the notifications are invading you.   

The rumor mill is growing and your coffee is getting cold, you have to react quickly. What are you doing ?  

1. Without further ado, you create a fake X account (ex-Twitter) to start the opposite fake rumor. 
2. Without further ado, you inform your team that everyone must remain on alert.  
3. Without further ado, you write to this whistleblower to tell him what you really think.  
4. Without further ado, you reply to the tweet with a cute kitten GIF. Who doesn't fall for a baby cat?  
5. Without further ado, you launch an Instagram filter “I am a solidarity unicorn” to ride the trend. 
6. Without further ado, you contact your influencer friend to launch a counteroffensive. You have to fight on equal terms.  

Step 2 – Reaction Operation 

You have proof that this accusation is false. 📣 Now you need to inform the web about it, without coming across as a little preacher... What are you doing ?  

1. Easy, you throw out the phone number of the influencer who sent the tweet, it's none of your business.  
2. Easy, you publish the unpalatable press release that clears you and presto! 
3. Easy, you launch a sponsored campaign “Our brand says STOP to false rumors".  
4. Easy, you create a remix of the fake karaoke video. Now it's your turn to troll.  
5. Easy, you write a clear, concise and educational answer to be understood by as many people as possible, so much for fun.  
6. Easy, you wait, sooner or later the truth will come out.   

Step 3 – Coordination operation 

Your CEO wants to take up the matter. His great idea? 😬 Post a selfie of him with the hashtag #WeLoveUnicorns. What are you doing ?  

1. Great idea, you suggest he wear a unicorn hat on his head, for more credibility.  
2. Great idea, you're giving him carte blanche, after all, he's the boss.  
3. Great idea, you suggest he speak but after having discussed it with the communications department.  
4. Great idea, you advise him to take it to the next level. Why not have a unicorn dance in the hallways of headquarters?  
5. Great idea, but you recommend that he speak jointly with the community manager instead.  
6. Bad idea, no one is interested in what a CEO says.  

Step 4 – Conversation Operation 

Phew, so far you're not doing too badly. 🙏 But your community remains divided and waiting for answersBetween those who support you, those who demand a public apology, and those who are only there to create memes, the tension is palpable. What are you doing ?  

1. Good question! You're setting up a rapid response unit on social media.  
2. Good question! You're launching a major survey to determine the next steps. Clever! 
3. Good question! You're posting a mini-series of real-life explainers on Instagram, hosted by the Netflix documentary-style community manager.  
4. Good question! You turn off comments, they'll get tired of it eventually.  
5. Good question! You're running a big contest for the best unicorn meme.  
6. Good question! You're engaged in a fierce fight against fake news and you're letting your community know about it.  

Step 5 – Post-crisis consolidation operation

Well done, the crisis is almost behind you. 🤓 Managing to limit the damage is good. Managing to turn this bad buzz into an opportunity is better. So, What are you doing to take advantage of this unfortunate experience?  

1. Back to calm, you organize a Unicorn Party at the headquarters and invite the press. Multicolored cocktails for everyone. 
2. Once the calm has returned, you organize a debriefing session with your team. It's time to question yourself (and also to celebrate).  
3. Calm down, you send champagne to the whistleblower, after all thanks to him you have gained visibility.  
4. Back to calm, you change your logo to include more glitter. Unicorn required.  
5. Once calm has returned, you publish a making-of video of your crisis unit to raise awareness of fake news on social networks.  
6. Back to calm, you've given enough for the day, your teams can stop working. 

👉 So, what kind of crisis pro are you? 👈

🦄 Do you have more than 100 points? You are a crisis communication strategist. 

You've managed this situation like no other. Your brand must be happy to be able to count on you. Sharp reflexes, impeccable posture, and masterful coordination... In fact, you're not managing the crisis; you're transforming it into a real opportunity. 

😅 Do you have between 60 and 99 points? You're a crisis communication tightrope walker. 

Your decisions are often brilliant, but sometimes a little borderline. You walk a tightrope where the slightest misstep can be radical, but you stay the course. You have the instinct of a strategist, but not his seriousness and method. At the same time, don't they say that humor can solve everything?  

🧯 Do you have between 0 and 59 points? You are a crisis communication suicide bomber. 

The will was there, but you rushed into it. You tried things, sometimes creative, sometimes not very productive. No plan of attack, no strategy, no coordination... You ran straight into the wall. Well done for your creativity, now you have to channel it all.  

🧨 Do you have less than 0 points? You are a freewheeling communicator… 

Without a direction, without a map, without a compass... Each of your decisions has only amplified the crisis. Ultimately, you are a masterclass in what absolutely must not be done. 😂 We Are COM team offers communication training crisis. If you care about your brand at all, we can only recommend that you participate.