Be Concerned!

It can catch you off guard. In the evening, sitting on the sofa watching TV or browsing the internet. Somewhere between adverts for toothpaste and dog food, Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, or BBK for short, airs its new advert on the subject of “stocking up on emergency supplies”.

In this 30-second animated information film, we are shown what a well-organised emergency stockpile should contain. In addition to sufficient food supplies, the items mentioned include a folder containing important documents, a camping stove and a hand-crank radio. To ensure maximum public exposure, the advert is not only broadcast on television during prime time but also shown before YouTube videos.

The advert is part of the BBK’s wider “Prepared for Any Situation” campaign. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this message. But the emergency supplies advert raises two important questions.

1. Why now?

Severe weather is nothing new, and even in Germany there can occasionally be local power cuts. But an official campaign calling on the public to prepare for emergencies is unprecedented. Such a move might have been easier to understand at the beginning of the pandemic. Back then, however, the focus was on avoiding panic and urging people to remain calm. “Please continue to buy only as much toilet paper as you need, and there will be enough for everyone,” was the message around two years ago.

Alongside this shift in communication, there is another point that many people may find unsettling:

2. What exactly are we being warned about?

Given the current political situation, you probably do not need much imagination to picture potential dangers. Considering that a war has now been raging on the European continent for almost a year, the timing of the advert is particularly unfortunate.

Nor does it help that BBK President Ralph Tiesler spoke of possible blackouts in an interview last October. One day later, his own agency assessed such a scenario as “extremely unlikely”. There is also the question of what purpose preparing a folder of important documents would serve in the event of a power cut.

Do not get me wrong: there is nothing wrong with keeping a small supply of food at home, just as there is nothing wrong with being “prepared” in general. My concern is solely with the BBK’s communication. Potential disasters are, after all, a sensitive subject associated with a great deal of emotion and anxiety. As an official federal agency, the BBK should pursue a clear and consistent communications strategy that conveys reassurance and credibility. Unfortunately, shifting positions and ambiguous messages are currently causing more concern than necessary.