New market through campaign: ‘Fear sells, but certainty sells even more’

The meter-high posters of the national government campaign ‘Think Forward’ have been hanging everywhere in Brabant since this week. Dutch people must be prepared for emergency situations, such as without electricity, water or internet for hours. While the government warns, more and more entrepreneurs see opportunities. This includes Dennis Nouwens (53) from Breda, who developed the Kraftor earlier this year: an emergency power generator that keeps an entire home or shop running via the meter cupboard when the power goes out.

“The idea came about when we had a power outage at home,” says Nouwens. “Only then do you notice how dependent you are. No light, no hot water, no working garage door and no cold refrigerator. Then I thought: this must be smarter.”

With a friend who is an electrical engineer, he developed a compact generator with a special connection for the meter cupboard. “You can buy a standard generator at the hardware store, but then you still have to deal with extension cords and loose power strips throughout the house. You connect our device to the meter cupboard and everything continues to work normally. As long as you have gasoline, you have power.”

“But it remains an emergency facility,” Nouwens continues. “Major power consumers such as air conditioners, heat pumps and induction hobs do not work. For households it mainly means peace of mind, because the refrigerator continues to run, you have light, you can charge your telephone and the central heating system continues to work.”

And he believes it is even more important for retailers. “Without power you can close the door: no pin, no cash register, no lighting, no cooling and no alarm. With this device the store can remain open. For an entrepreneur, this can make a difference of thousands of euros. People only realize how vulnerable they are when the plug is pulled out.”

Dennis calls the fact that the government is now rolling out the national campaign ‘Think ahead’ ‘no coincidence, but very welcome’. “Fear sells well,” he says honestly. “But it goes further than that. People want certainty, especially now that the power grid is so full. A whole new market has been created for us entrepreneurs.”

They also notice this at Kees Breda, a household name in the field of air guns, outdoor and survival items for eighty years. Shop owner Tijn de Vries says that the demand for emergency supplies has been growing explosively for some time. “I normally sell these types of things to campers, especially in the summer,” he says. “Now it is all year round. Burners and gas bottles, for example, we sell 40 to 50 percent more than normal. A new market has really emerged.”

And there is sprawl. For example, Tijn emphatically does not sell complete emergency kits, but only individual parts. “Many of those ready-made packages are far too expensive and unnecessarily extensive,” he explains. “Some people try to make a profit from it. Cowboys, I call them. Half of what’s in it you already have at home: candles, blankets, bottles of water. Why would you pay a hundred euros for a box full of stuff that you might never use?”

In his shop he points out what is needed: water purification tablets, gas burners, flashlights, power banks. “And that Kraftor is also a good idea. I would like to sell it. You buy what you really need, no more. That’s what I say to customers. We are not an Action where you walk out with bags full of junk.”

Entrepreneurs Tijn de Vries and Dennis Nouwens notice every day that the government campaign is having an effect. “People are busy with it. They sometimes laugh about it, but in the end they buy the stuff anyway.”

“Nobody hopes for a power outage, but if it happens you want to be prepared. Of course we make money from it, but if we can help, that’s a bonus.”