How do you run a digital reputation fire drill?

A digital fire drill is operationally distinctive because it tests the digital response specifically, not just the press response. The scenario is realistic: a credible event the company would actually face, scripted with enough detail that the team has to make decisions under partial information. Detection runs through the actual monitoring tools – IMPACT alerts, AIQ topic shifts, social monitoring. The decision phase tests whether the right people are reached fast enough and whether decision authorities are clear. The communications phase tests whether statement templates produce shippable language under time pressure. The monitoring phase tests whether the AI and search picture is being read accurately during the simulation. The follow-up phase tests handoffs to longer-term workstreams. The post-drill review identifies specific gaps – usually three to seven concrete items that get fixed before the next drill. Companies that drill consistently develop muscle that shows up clearly when real situations arrive.