Crisis Simulation Exercise

When your ad appears next to harmful content, the clock starts immediately. Crisis simulations exist because real incidents punish improvisation.

The Response Timeline

• First 30 minutes

  Acknowledge publicly

  Post a holding statement on your primary social channel. The goal is not explanation — it is visibility. You are signalling that the organisation is aware and active, not asleep.

  "We're aware of the issue and are urgently investigating. This placement does not reflect our values."

• First 2 hours

  Investigate internally

  Gather facts before your next communication. Speculation in public statements is worse than silence.

  • Which campaign triggered the placement?
  • Which DSP or ad network was involved?
  • Which partner or vendor needs to be contacted?
  • Do you have logs to support the statement you will make?

• End of day one

  Issue a full statement

  Be specific about what happened, what has been paused, and what will change. Vague apologies without corrective action are received poorly.

  "This occurred due to a programmatic placement error. We have paused the campaign, adjusted our brand safety filters, and are reviewing all programmatic partnerships. We apologise to our community."

• Following days

  Corrective action and updates

  Share what has changed. Transparency builds credibility over time. Then document the entire incident as an internal case study and update the crisis playbook.

  • What process change was implemented?
  • Which exclusion lists were updated?
  • Were any vendor contracts reviewed or terminated?
  • Has the team been debriefed and the playbook updated?