Spokesperson behind the scenes
The question 
In this lawsuit it is exceedingly important that we exercise restraint where the media are concerned. Now we know a great deal – if not everything – about criminal law, but little about real communication skills. This, added to the fact that our client appeared practically every day in the media until yesterday and is now front page news, requires your expertise.
The answer 
In collaboration with, and at the request of, his lawyer, Mischa Wladimiroff, we mapped out the media strategy for Ahold’s ex-CEO, Cees van der Hoeven. We acted as his spokesperson and kept him completely out of the publicity up to the lawsuit.
The result
The stream of extremely negative publicity receded. Thanks to the many interviews with journalists, anger turned to understanding that Van der Hoeven was unable and unwilling to be interviewed. By doing this, the atmosphere during the lawsuit was reasonably relaxed. Anne Boersma, communication analyst at the FD, awarded Van der Hoeven and his team an Oscar for the way in which they entered the courthouse for the first time, surrounded by cameras and microphones.
