Challenge

Alber & Geiger was tasked with the challenge of navigating the sensitive contours of Europe’s environmental consciousness to safeguard its client’s industry. A EU-wide ban on plastic bags was in the pipeline. Papier-Mettler was the largest producer of plastic bags in the EU. Such a measure would have had dramatic implications on our client’s business. Papier-Mettler turned to Alber & Geiger for help.

Strategy

We adopted an expansive macro-strategy. Its multi-faced argumentation had scientific, legal, political, social and economic elements. It utilized the framework of environmental consciousness. In doing so, it demonstrated that certain plastic bags provided the better choice for the environment, economy and the wider community. In particular, we showed that the majority of plastic bags produced in Europe were not “single-use” and caused fewer greenhouse gasses compared to paper and cotton bags.

Results

The source of Alber & Geiger’s ultimate success in this mandate was the expedience with which the firm transmitted its methodology through an environmental paradigm. As a consequence of our persistent lobbying efforts we halted the EU wide ban. In addition, we thwarted the approval of several discriminatory national legislations in the Member States.

Challenge

Global Hospitality Investments (GHI) was a large US real estate private equity investor. It acquired two properties with a loan from the former Hypo Real Estate Group (HRE). Following, the HRE’s portfolio was transferred to FMS Wertmanagement (FMS), the Federal government’s winding up institution for the HRE.

GHI offered to buy back the loan from FMS to save the property investments and proceed with the development plans. FMS was not willing to deal with GHI, which made any solution almost impossible. GHI sought Alber & Geiger’s help with the ensuing impasse to find a deal.

Strategy

We crafted a clear and concise message for the German government and the Bundestag that highlighted the bureaucratic approach of FMS regarding the offer put forward by GHI. The behaviour of FMS did not respect good governance principles and ignored the purpose upon which it was created, namely to “unwind the portfolio whenever it is financially advantageous and thus to achieve the best possible outcome in the interest of the German taxpayer.” The strategy demonstrated to the German Finance Ministry and the Bundestag that the circumstances demanded an equitable treatment of GHI. It drew on an understanding of the financial the political mindset in Germany that was used to strengthen the GHI proposal.

Results

Alber & Geiger helped GHI prepare the offer and guided the it through the entire process while ensuring the political backing of the German Finance Ministry and the Bundestag for a deal with FMS Wertmanagement. The transaction was finally successfully completed.

Challenge

Flock, a medium sized entity, with a fledgling web-browser, reached for support in the Microsoft case. Microsoft was using its market presence to tie its web browser, Internet Explorer to its dominant client PC operating system. This led to accusations by the European Commission that it had infringed competition rules. Microsoft reacted by proposing a limit on the access of browsers with a market share higher than 0.5% by means of a ‘ballot screen’. Flock was at risk of being blocked out of the market.

Strategy

The strategy relied on turning technical and soft law instruments into political messages resonating with the European Commission’s language. It outlined that Microsoft’s solution would have amounted to an oligopoly. In doing so, it demonstrate that, by its very essence the ballot screen proposal was contrary to the European Commission’s  goal for open and competitive communications markets. We created a nexus of effective communications and activities that proved to be decisive.

Results

Alber & Geiger was able to keep its client’s innovative business services available to consumers. Microsoft consequently, had to revise its ‘ballot screen’. Its new proposed ballot screen would allow consumers to choose from a number of 12 suggested web browsers. These included Flock and other alternatives.