Dear {{ first_name | reader }},

In this week’s edition of the Wag The Dog newsletter, we’re talking money, not headlines. Crisis simulations have long been a favourite of comms teams, but getting the rest of the business to care? That’s trickier.

This week, I break down the real returns these programmes can deliver, why the finance team should stop seeing them as a cost, and how to make the case without sounding like you’ve borrowed it from the training department.

Premium subscribers will have access to a handy guide to support their request for crisis simulation funding with management and an ROI calculator.

Happy reading.

Crisis strikes. You’re handed the smoking mess, asked to explain it to stakeholders, then somehow come out smiling. Welcome to communications.

Now imagine being able to prove that practice drills don’t just help; they pay.

That’s the core idea behind a piece of research I pulled together partly through manual reading, partly using a tool called Elicit, an AI assistant for sifting academic literature faster than any overworked junior ever could.

What I found was simple: if your organisation runs proper crisis simulations, there’s a good chance it’s already saving money. In some cases, quite a lot.¹

Let’s not oversell it. This wasn’t a clinical trial or a white paper polished by a research institute. I used Elicit to search millions of academic papers and narrowed them down to a few hundred that looked promising. Then I selected 40 that focused on real organisations, with measurable outcomes.

The sectors were varied: healthcare, emergency services, finance, logistics, and infrastructure.

The results? Strikingly consistent. The simulations didn’t just help teams perform better, but they also led to fewer errors, faster decisions, and less waste.

Here are some examples from the healthcare sector, which had the richest data:

And while these results came from hospitals, similar trends showed up in other sectors. So yes, the numbers travel.

Not all simulations are equal. Here’s what the better ones had in common:

1. Realistic scenarios

Simulations that reflect actual risks work better than generic ones. Tabletop exercises are fine, but if the threat feels abstract, the learning doesn’t stick.

2. A good mix of people

Bringing in staff from across departments – comms, legal, ops, and leadership – mirrors what would happen in a real crisis. It also reveals where the handovers and hiccups will be.

3. A proper debrief

This is where most of the value lies. A good postmortem identifies what worked, what didn’t, and where to plug the gaps. It’s not the flashy bit, but it’s the useful one.

4. Repetition

You wouldn’t go to the gym once and expect results. Simulations work best when they’re part of a rhythm, not just a one-off fire drill.

To make this land with leadership, here’s a practical way to frame it:

Start with the risk

Paint a picture of what a crisis would actually cost: revenue lost, legal bills, and brand damage². It doesn’t need to be dramatic. It just needs to be real.

Use ROI to reframe it

Show that crisis simulations don’t sit under “training expenses”; they sit under “cost savings” and “risk management.” If 11:1 returns aren’t enough to open a spreadsheet, nothing is.

Position it as a strategic edge

While your competitors are fumbling for a plan in the middle of a scandal, you’ve already run the drill. That’s not a luxury. That’s an advantage.

Propose a pilot

Pick one likely crisis and simulate that. Small, targeted, measurable. Then report back with outcomes. It’s much easier to scale what’s already shown results.

Link it to what the business already cares about

Customer trust. Operational continuity. Employee confidence. These challenges extend far beyond mere public relations concerns; they are fundamentally business issues that can significantly impact the overall health and success of a company.

You’ve got the go-ahead. Now avoid the trap of ticking a box and moving on:

Get senior leadership involved

Not just present but participating. If the CEO joins in, the rest of the organisation pays attention.

Integrate, don’t bolt on

Simulations should plug into your current processes, not run alongside them. If you’ve already got a crisis plan, use this to test and strengthen it.

Measure properly

Track things you can point to: how long it took to make a decision, how clearly the comms flowed, and what it cost to run the simulation versus what it might have saved.

Think ahead

Once the pilot works, have a plan for scale. You don’t want to start from scratch each time.

Nobody likes being the one who stands up in the boardroom and talks about worst-case scenarios. But if you can show that crisis simulations don’t just protect the brand, they protect the budget, you’ll get the time, money, and attention you need.

Crisis simulations are not merely drills; they represent significant investments. When approached with the right strategy and care, these “investments” have the potential to yield “returns” that far exceed their initial costs.

That’s the story worth telling.

Ready to save precious time and let AI do the heavy lifting?

Save time and simplify your unique workflow with HubSpot’s highly anticipated AI Playbook—your guide to smarter processes and effortless productivity.

Download the free guide today.

PS: I hope you've enjoyed this newsletter! Creating it each weekend is a labour of love that I provide for free. If you've found my writing valuable, the best way to support it is by sharing it with others. Thank you for reading!

_{Parts of this newsletter were created using AI technology to draft content. In addition, all AI-generated images include a caption stating, 'This image was created using AI'. These changes were made in line with the transparency requirements of the EU AI law for AI-generated content. Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase; however, I only promote tools and services that I have tested, use myself, or am convinced will make a positive difference.}