Manufacturer of ladder used in Louvre heist ‘lean’ in, to expertly piggyback on news agenda
On the day of the Louvre heist, the phone of Böcker CEO went mad. The ladder used by the jewellery thieves was made by his company. Employees were texting him, ‘Have you seen this?’, ‘What do you think?’. The go-to response for many organisations is a statement distancing themself from illegal activity but, whilst this may reassure the board, it’s predictable and would have probably gone unreported, defeating the object of the time spent on it. Instead, Alexander Bocker and his wife, the head of marketing, did something unpredictable. After brainstorming, they decided to ‘lean’ into the situation. They bought copyright to one of the images from the scene of the crime and turned it into an ad:
“When you need to move fast,” it reads, “The Bocker Agilo carries your heavy treasures up to 400kg at 42m/min – quiet as a whisper thanks to its 230v electric motor.”
Many CEOs might have balked at the idea of taking such a risk. Yet this strategy was actually lower risk than it appears. This brand did not participate in the planning of the robbery, its only involvement was to make a very useful ladder. There is a time and a place for a swift apology but in this case there was nothing to apologise for.
When you find yourself accidentally caught up in a crisis, the eyes of staff, shareholders, board members, customers and the media are on you. The pressure to do the right thing, and quickly, is immense. But it’s important to think outside your bubble and consider the wider context.
The general public is not necessarily blaming you for being involved but they will judge you by your response. Are you issuing a bland response using management jargon? Or are you showing that you’re in touch with customers by speaking to them in their tone of voice? Humour needs to be well-judged but is a useful tool, alongside a healthy dose of common-sense. Ask yourself not what you would say when speaking to the chair of the board, but how you would phrase it when explaining the situation to the average person in the street. Consumer surveys repeatedly tell us that the general public respects brands that have an opinion, even if they don’t agree with that opinion. What they dislike is brands that sit on the fence.
The Böcker advert has gone viral. A niche German ladder manufacturer is becoming a global name. Mr Böcker and his wife have given an expert lesson in crisis management and, as well as enjoying their well-judged campaign, we would do well to learn a lesson from it.