Crisis Designer Weekly Podcast: Recent Episodes
Conducttr
Intended for anyone writing crisis scenarios for team exercises, hosts Robert Pratten and Belen Santa-Olalla from Conducttr discuss what's caught their eye this week in the land of crisis management, business continuity, information operations and storytelling!
In this episode, Amanda Coleman, Crisis Communications Consultant and Author of Crisis Communications Strategies, discusses key insights from her current practice as a comms consultant and former Police Communication specialist.
She explores whether organizations learn from past crises, the challenges of maintaining honesty, and whether transparency can be trained. Amanda also explains her philosophy of prioritizing people over reputation.
Amanda also highlights common mistakes event organizers make, essential crisis management skills, and the importance of accurate information. She shares strategies to build and regain trust during crises and some of her hopes for the future of crisis communication.
In this episode, Alan Marsh, Senior Business Resilience Manager at Vodafone Group, discusses the concept of "permacrisis"—a prolonged period of instability due to catastrophic events.
Alan explains how organizations can manage frequent crises through effective triage and escalation, a dedicated crisis management team, and rehearsing initial meetings.
He also emphasizes the importance of consistent meetings, shared understanding, robust reporting, and centralized information repositories.
In this episode, Gautier Porot, Global Crisis Management Practice Leader at International SOS, shares expert insights on creating effective crisis exercises.
He discusses identifying and aligning scenarios with organizational risks, involving business experts for accurate information, and balancing scenario intensity to avoid overwhelming participants.
He also shares his thoughts on how to embed skill development into exercises and utilizing the five key crisis response pillars.
In this episode, Robert talks about environmental storytelling and human terrain modelling, while Belén reflects on how to apply proxemics (the relation between distances and communication) when designing a scenario. What caught our eye goes from Russian hybrid warfare, Bioshock movie and video games and Youtube misinformation reports.
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LINKS
https://cepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CEPA-Hybrid-Warfare-1.28.21.pdf
https://twitter.com/daniel_eckler/status/1493230457865003016
https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/inside-responsibility-whats-next-on-our-misinfo-efforts/
https://www.ign.com/articles/bioshock-movie-netflix
https://spherestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/Sphere-Handbook-2018-EN.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxemics
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://innovacionaudiovisual.com/como-usar-las-distancias-en-el-storytelling-inmersivo/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_Nothing_(book)
In this episode, we tap into storyboards as a valuable tool when creating scenarios. Many interesting things caught our eye this week: from real-life complex issues with operational and political implications, cyber-attacks with China links and cool open-source projects and DIY.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/08/canada-ottawa-trucker-protest-extremist-qanon-neo-nazi
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220208-canadian-anti-vax-truckers-inspire-copycat-protests
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/business/media/news-corp-email-hack.html
https://color.museum/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8LNj4el3k4&t=2562s
https://symantec-enterprise-blogs.security.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/china-apt-antlion-taiwan-financial-attacks
https://www.hackster.io/news/mutantw-is-an-esp32-powered-open-source-smartwatch-4bc6fc5018b1?mc_cid=366f7c4b72&mc_eid=dcf0586cf8 & https://shop.espruino.com/banglejs2
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/light-up-valentine-cards
https://daysofpunk.com/book-gallery/punk-rock-book
In this episode, as Russian adversarial activities are on the news again, we talk about our Information Operations toolkit. We explain how it was created, a useful example and how to use its worksheet and cards to inspire and create realistic information environments. As for what caught our eye, we discuss traits of modern ransom attacks, crime scripts and some Elon Musk’s singularities.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
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LINKS
https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/01/15/destructive-malware-targeting-ukrainian-organizations
https://fortune.com/2022/01/14/hackers-ukraine-government-websites-messages/
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/02/unfortunately-we-are-not-living-in-a-simulation
https://www.protocol.com/elon-musk-flight-tracker
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12117-021-09428-9
https://www.safeseas.net/using-crime-script-analysis-to-better-understand-piracy-manifestations/
https://www.conducttr.com/information-operations-design-tools
https://teatrodelsoho.com/evento/company/
https://streamlit.io/
In this episode, we invited Rob Walley from Controlled events to talk about risk and readiness in 2022. We review upcoming scenarios and discuss how companies are approaching exercising this year, apart from sharing tips and strategies for crisis design, facilitation and assessment. What caught our eye this week goes from cybersecurity trends and the media battle for the cognitive domain to introducing our brand new hybrid warfare model DUSTS.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2022/01/23/peloton-has-fifth-pr-crisis-when-another-tv-character-has-heart-attack-using-exercise-bike
https://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/feature/Cybersecurity-outlook-Consultants-cite-5-trends
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/26/ukraine-militia-bleed-russia/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Media-Warfare-Taiwans-Battle-Cognitive/dp/B09HG19F8V
https://blog.conducttr.com/dusts-hybrid-warfare-model
https://controlledevents.com/
https://www.conducttr.com/practical-guide-to-exercising
https://espacio.fundaciontelefonica.com/audioguias/en/blog/audioguia/the-great-imagination/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/746850/Cloudpunk/
In this episode, our guest Krishna Stott, interactive storyteller at BellyFeel, talks about the great line-up of the upcoming conference The Modern Audience (online event, Feb 2nd). We also discuss the importance of interaction in crisis scenario design and we review outstanding videogames and experiences that encourage participation. As for what caught our eye, brand scandals and acquisitions, current reputational risk examples and sci-fi authors' scenarios for the wars to come.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.cert.govt.nz/it-specialists/guides/how-ransomware-happens-and-how-to-stop-it/
https://www.ft.com/content/96801e40-a949-46f7-893f-4c1d8235f7db
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/nestle-gets-its-fingers-burned-over-kitkat-bars-adorned-with-hindu-deities/ar-AASYC2n
https://redteamdefense.org/
https://wtdotcom-prod.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/assets/The-Future-100-2022.pdf
https://modernaudience.org/
https://www.justwatch.com/us/apps
https://ko-fi.com/s/e21c5af578
In this episode, we launch Season 02! To celebrate this, we talk about social engineering and how to think like the attacker in a red-teaming exercise, but we also discuss the brand new Business Continuity benchmarking report and its 2022 insights about BC teams. Some cool items caught our eye this week, from psy-ops agencies and star nurseries to news-trust stats and Slovak games.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.ft.com/content/1e030bbb-a074-4fbd-94c5-94fe579a9a8a
https://www.punchdrunk.com/project/theburntcity/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEJIhDxgHug
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-take-over-diplomats-email-target-russian-deputy-minister/
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/21-findings-reuters-institutes-research-2021-still-relevant-2022?s=09
https://scd.sk/clanky/playable-english-localizations-of-slovak-digital-games-from-the-late-80s-period/
https://www.itgovernance.co.uk/social-engineering-attacks
https://www.thebci.org/resource/bci-business-continuity-resources-benchmarking-report-2022.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaIENOjfnVo
https://itch.io/jam/historically-accurate-5
In this episode (the last episode of our first season!), we discuss types of immersion and how to apply them to tabletop exercises. We also talk about the measurement of effects and discover different frameworks for encouraging behavioural change. And what caught our eye this week ranges from GTA radio stations, an immersive Arkham asylum and the TV show “Social Media, Anger and Us”
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://hypebeast.com/2021/12/gta-online-motomami-radio-station-launch-rosalia-arca
https://arkhamasylum.seetickets.com/register/arkhamasylum
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0012kf0/david-baddiel-social-media-anger-and-us
https://tattle.life/
https://escapehunt.com/uk/birmingham/games/operation-mindfall-outdoor-game/
https://blog.conducttr.com/what-is-a-tabletop-exercise
https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/guidance/marketing/delivering-government-campaigns/guide-to-campaign-planning-oasis/
https://modelthinkers.com/mental-model/east-framework
https://www.mdrc.org/publication/elegant-simplicity-and-potential-pitfalls-simple-frameworks
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/hass-storytelling/imagineering-in-a-box
In this episode, we invite our Crisis Designer Ondrej Palicka to discuss a counter-terrorism scenario he’s putting together, so we talk about design considerations, disinformation techniques and different actors in this real-attack-inspired exercise focusing on the “golden hour”, that is, the first 60 minutes after an incident. We also discuss the Olympics' boycott, Israel digital occupation and five political games that explain the world (and could be great Xmas presents).
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
Brand Narratives for the 2022 Genocide Olympics - Conducttr BlogConducttr
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/03/palestinian-israeli-occupation-social-media-censorship-facebook-silicon-valley/
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/26/holiday-gift-games-wargames/
https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/120650/1/M2M+Report+[Final].pdf
https://ventura.conducttr.com/
https://endnightgames.com/games/the-forest
In this episode, we explain emotional contagion and how it affects the spread of information on social networks (and in the crisis room). We also discuss a simple 3-attribute framework for improving your scenario characters to prevent them from being bland. And what caught our eye were a number of reports from Facebook, Graphika & the BCI. Oh and Abbie Richards' infographic on conspiracy theories.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/29/metro/this-chart-conspiracy-theories-has-gone-viral-freebritney-qanon-local-disinformation-researcher-breaks-down-what-know/
https://about.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Metas-Adversarial-Threat-Report.pdf
https://graphika.com/reports/viral-vendetta/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50770-4
https://www.thebci.org/resource/bci-cyber-resilience-report-2021.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM1tUwpy-yQ
https://www.janejordan.com.au/blog/why-reading-emotions-and-picking-the-panic-is-critical-to-crisis-success
https://www.kosmosgames.co.uk/games/exit-advent-calendar/
https://www.nreal.ai/light
It’s a special guest episode this week featuring Angelique LaRue. Angelique is the Social Media Director at TribalVision, an agency with offices in Boston, MA and Warwick, RI. Previously she worked at Cracker Barrel in Tennessee and Shakey's Pizza in California. She has over 12+ years of digital marketing experience specializing in social media & social media marketing for businesses.
We also discuss the Kyle Rittenhouse narratives, an influencer taken hostage by cyber crooks, a Russian anti-vaccine disinformation campaign that backfires and Big Bird being banned from a political conference.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://tribalvision.com/
https://interestingengineering.com/bitcoin-scam-forces-victims-to-record-hostage-style-videos-on-instagram
https://news.sky.com/story/big-bird-and-sesame-street-friends-banned-from-largest-republican-conference-12472539
https://www.voanews.com/a/russian-anti-vaccine-disinformation-campaign-backfires/6318536.html
In this episode we discuss how to evaluate team performance, how to get teams collaborating and present six steps to ensure your scenarios are always engaging. What caught our eye was FIFA/EA/Burger King, flooding in Canada, Marriott hotel in Prague, Frances admits to influence operations and a nice infographic from the Global Network on Counter-Extremism.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: http://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.conducttr.com/essential-scenario-writing-kit
https://www.ogilvy.com/work/stevenage-challenge
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/15/france-has-admitted-it-spreads-disinformation-other-democracies-should-also-own-up/
https://gnet-research.org/2021/11/08/fogging-and-flooding-countering-extremist-mis-disinformation-after-terror-attacks/
https://www.raphkoster.com/2018/03/16/the-trust-spectrum/
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/oct/24/grayson-perry-a-show-for-normal-people-review
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/star-trek/bridge-crew
https://virtualrealityday.org/
In this episode we discuss writing a hybrid warfare exercise around the Poland-Belarus border crisis where Belarus is transporting refugees from Iraq in order to pressure the EU and we discuss the use of time in storytelling and how to consider seasons, rituals and more.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: https://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
PolitiFact - Biden was describing misinformation about gun control legislation, not threatening to take away guns
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/nov/09/facebook-posts/biden-was-describing-misinformation-about-gun-cont/
Kenya disinformation for hire
https://assets.mofoprod.net/network/documents/Report_Inside_the_shadowy_world_of_disinformation_for_hire_in_Kenya_5._hcc.pdf
Modern Reputational Risks: Navigating Social and Technological Change
https://www.conducttr.com/modern-reputational-risks
Steph Piper's Companion Bot Templates // Hackster Café
https://www.hackster.io/videos/1048
How Belarus is helping ‘tourists’ break into the EU
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-58952867
https://www.civilaffairsassoc.org/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anatomy-Story-Becoming-Master-Storyteller/dp/0865479933/
In this episode we discuss writing a scenario around the Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot and the importance of storyworld for natural disasters. What caught our eye was Squid Game cryptocurrency and the UK Defence document about societal resilience and an article on the use of information operations around a ransomware attack on the NRA.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: http://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/another-place-by-antony-gormley-p160981
- https://player.fm/series/transmedia-storytelling/cryptocurrency-as-content
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/enhancing-defences-contribution-to-societal-resilience-in-the-uk-lessons-from-international-approaches
- https://mailchi.mp/f35db188953c/you-ready-to-go-atari-hotels-newsletter?e=5dfc26e0eb https://atarihotels.com/
- https://www.scmagazine.com/analysis/ransomware/as-demod-with-nra-information-operations-may-be-new-way-to-give-ransomware-victims-grief
In this episode we discuss the Facebook name change to Meta, the Facebook reputational crisis, volcanic eruptions in La Palma, East Center’s Disinformation Resilience Index report, Netflix walkout, the science of storytelling, our BCI panel on multi-national remote exercising. Plus.. games we’re playing this weekend - Cyberpunk 2077 and Lost Judgement.
Give us your feedback: podcast@conducttr.com
Check us out: http://www.conducttr.com
LINKS
https://www.conducttr.com/modern-reputational-risks
https://ventura.conducttr.com/Scenarios_and_PoL/employee-walkout
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-science-of-storytelling/will-storr/9780008276973
https://www.thebci.org/event-detail/event-calendar/bci-world-virtual-2021.html
https://east-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DRI-report-2021.pdf
https://www.pushsquare.com/guides/all-yakuza-games-ranked-which-yakuza-games-to-play-and-where-to-start