"Those who kill also have the responsibility to save"

Dr Reckhaus, your company has transformed itself from a traditional insect control company into a pioneer in insect protection - and that through collaboration with artists. How did this come about?

Dr Hans-Dietrich Reckhaus: I didn't originally seek this cooperation in order to question my business model. I wanted to publicise one of my products through an art campaign - instead of going to an advertising agency, I went straight to two concept artists. But the game quickly changed: they didn't just want to advertise a fly trap, they wanted to turn me from an insect killer into an insect saviour.

Did you respond directly to this idea? What happened next?

I never had a guilty conscience about my company, but the two artists affected me deeply. I was never a proud entrepreneur, more of a numbers person in search of meaning. In a long meeting, they confronted me with the dark side of my business model and finally asked the question: "How much is a fly worth to you as an insecticide manufacturer?"
I couldn't let go of this question. At the same time, they presented a solution: a large fly rescue campaign - originally intended as the marketing of a fly trap. At first this was completely alien to me, but after two sleepless nights I agreed. That was the first step in our transformation.

Your product range extends from sticky traps and insect sprays to the "INSECT-RESPECT" seal, which you use to promote insect-friendly habitats. Isn't that a contradiction?

Not at all. Those who kill also have a responsibility to save. I can't have NGOs cleaning up after me and creating habitats for the damage I cause. What's more, killing insects is often completely pointless - many people don't realise that. I use every product to show: "Look, you might not even need it." This creates awareness. For me, this is not a contradiction, but a logical consequence.

How can creatives be helpful in such a fundamental transformation of a company?

Creatives think differently to entrepreneurs. They are free from conventions and constraints, can look at society from the outside and recognise the essentials. This is why they are good advisors: they show what is going right or wrong and develop ideas that are not driven by efficiency but by purpose.

In your book "Fliegen lassen - Wie man radikal und konsequent neu wirtschaftet", you write that you initially lost a lot of profit. Has the change now paid off economically?

Not at all at first - it was a complete disaster. I lost a lot of money, but gained an incredible amount of joie de vivre. The public now understands our attitude better and we are growing strongly. The fact that our products are now on the shelves of major retailers such as dm and Rossmann shows that the market is recognising consistent rethinking: The market honours consistent rethinking. However, it will still take a few years before the change pays off economically.

Would you still advise other companies to take this step?

Absolutely. Today, my company creates ecological and social added value - and that fulfils me. If you take sustainability seriously, you will be more successful in the long term than with a meaningless business model. The earlier you start, the sooner it pays off. For me as an insecticide manufacturer, the most important thing is to save insects: Saving insects. If you work in a content-orientated way, you create trust and economic value - this makes us the most important voice for insects in the German-speaking world today.