[Cover Story] The Public Health Plan

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) has been the "talk of the town" — and for good reason: The organization made significant gains in 2002 in promoting the industry. Whether your company supports PPMA or not, there’s no disputing that last year the organization started to "get the word out" about professional pest management.

PPMA was established in 1997 to increase awareness among consumers of the value of professional pest management services, protect the industry’s reputation and increase the size of the consumer market. While the group has experienced bumps in the road, the road ahead seems smooth. Cindy Mannes, an industry executive with 14 years experience in pest control, was brought in October 2001 as PPMA’s executive director. She hasn’t looked back. And the pest management industry — an industry that’s historically been reluctant to accept change rapidly — is starting to come around.

"2002 was the year of ‘tangible results’ for the alliance," Mannes said. "It was the year that, with the board’s direction, PPMA undertook a highly successful public relations and advertising program. We met our financial goals and have doubled the financial participation of pest management companies in 2002 and are moving forward into 2003."

A BANNER YEAR. In 2002 PPMA met its financial goal ($1.1 million) and doubled the financial participation of pest management companies. In addition, PPMA secured commitments from the basic manufacturers (including Dow AgroSciences, Bayer, BASF, FMC, Zoecon, Whitmire Micro-Gen, Termidor Holding and Syngenta) to participate in PPMA at the "guardian" level for 2003. ("Guardians" contribute one-tenth of one percent of their annual revenue to PPMA.)

Last year PPMA produced and distributed the first-ever national TV ad campaign relaying the benefits of pest control to consumers, as well as a series of public service announcements (PSAs). PSAs are consumer education spots that can only be run by non-profit organizations, such as PPMA.

Because of prudent public relations moves, PPMA’s 2002 $500,000 investment directly in PR for the industry netted $2.5 million in ad values. (Ad values are what the alliance would have to pay for equivalent exposure in print, TV and radio advertising.) In addition, the campaign "touched" consumers with more than 700 million impressions. "We did really well," said PPMA Chairman Tom Fortson.

"In 2002 we began our efforts to position our association as the third party, objective voice for our industry. While we have made some strides, with some success, we will continue to actively pursue this tactic," added Glen Rollins, PPMA vice chairman. "Our motto will continue to be, ‘If the media wants to talk about it, we will raise our hand as the expert.’"

PLAN FOR 2003. So when the time came for Mannes and the PPMA board of directors to create a strategic plan for 2003, one area of opportunity jumped out immediately — public health. "If there was a health angle involved in a story it was picked up by the media in 2002," Mannes said. "When we were pitching stories to national consumer media we got the highest response to public health-related issues, i.e., asthma, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, etc."

And with the spread of West Nile virus, the news media focused heavily on mosquitoes in 2002. Because the media was so intent on information about mosquitoes, it was natural that PPMA consider capitalizing on this pest. "Initially we didn’t want to promote pest management professionals as a solution to mosquito control," Mannes said, "but we talked to NPMA members and they are providing these services. Mosquito control is only one part of public health but in pitching stories to the media it gives them a reason to talk to us."

Because of the responses from media about the "public health message," PPMA decided to narrow its focus even more on public health issues in 2003.

PPMA’s theme for next month’s "pest management month" (see story on page 40) is "protectors of public health and property." PPMA is sending state pest control associations materials about what members can do to promote their public health services, as well as how local companies can connect themselves to the larger projects occurring at the national level.

Mannes has written "op/ed" pieces for local newspapers and plans to distribute those as well. One piece will focus on mosquitoes and the other on public health in general. "Even if you don’t want to be in mosquito work, you have an opportunity to be a customer resource," she said. "With ticks, rats, fire ants…everywhere in the country there is a health threat that is related to the pests we control as an industry."

In the op/ed pieces Mannes points out that stinging insects send 500,000 people to hospitals each year. "Many pests are disease-related and they are important to our quality of life," Mannes said.

"We’re trying to get the message to the consumer media that pest management is truly a partnership between the customer and the PCO and that consumers need a professional to help them assess property and provides tips for what they can do," said Victor Hammel, PPMA vice chairman.

To that end, like last year, PPMA will use paid television advertising with the message that consumers should "hire a professional." "The pivotal medium we’ve chosen is national cable television," Mannes said. "Reaching beyond regional pockets, national cable can provide very targeted programming that reaches our audience cost effectively." The media plan includes HGTV, which skews heavily toward women, as well as a CNN layer to reach a portion of the male audience.

"With our limited media buy, we cannot afford to scatter precious media dollars throughout the year. Therefore, we have chosen to run a four-week media blitz on cable TV and radio with public relations as the backbone during the month of April/May," Mannes added.

A new public service announcement has been shot and a shorter, 15-second mosquito PSA will be created. The cockroach PSA that was created and used last year will be released in both English and Spanish versions this year.

"We met our goal last year and we have built our plan and budget on $1.4 million this year," Mannes said. "Although we’re going to increase our media buy, we’re going to focus heavily on public relations as this is where we get the most value."

THE MESSAGE. But what about pest management professionals who don’t want or don’t have the means to enter the mosquito control business? Although many pest management professionals know they are protectors of health, not all market their companies that way. For companies in areas where West Nile virus has not been a hot topic, there’s always Lyme disease, Hantavirus, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever...the list goes on and on. "We need to take advantage of what the media wants to talk about and put ourselves in front of issues and West Nile virus is that issue," Mannes said. "We need to capitalize on the media’s attention related to mosquitoes and other public health issues by proactively getting in front of the issue."

Mannes added that even if a company doesn’t want to offer mosquito control services, the firm’s technicians should be knowledgeable about it "because people think mosquitoes, then bugs, then the PCO. Your customers should know that you’re an accurate source for pest control information." (See story on page 36.)

PPMA recently released its own proprietary research about consumer attitudes towards the pest management industry providing mosquito control services and being a valid and reliable consumer source of information on mosquitoes and their control. Four focus groups were conducted: two in Philadelphia and two in Austin, Texas. PPMA also conducted 100 in-depth consumer interviews (see right).

"This research will help PCOs understand the current consumer mindset about their services," Mannes said.

Qualified respondents had to: own their own home, have interacted with a pest management professional in the last six months, be somewhat or very satisfied with that interaction, exhibit personal concern about West Nile virus and encounter mosquitoes in their backyard in the last six months.

"Quantitatively, respondents are more concerned with mosquitoes than termites, ants or cockroaches," she said. "About 35 percent are ‘very concerned’ compared to 17 percent, 22 percent and 24 percent respectively." Interestingly, 47 percent of the sample agree that a PCO is who they would call to control mosquitoes around their home but 82 percent perceive a PCO can be an effective means of mosquito control.

Mannes says this research means that pest management professionals can take the lead by fulfilling a consumer need they can’t or won’t fulfill themselves. "This research points strongly in the direction of providing a ‘fact sheet’ to consumers," she said. "The fear, concern and desire is evident. This research shows it is important for us as an industry to be in front of the issue of mosquito control and West Nile virus.

"As long as there’s a real threat and consumers view us as people who can do this work, there is going to be an opportunity for pest management professionals to be involved in protecting public health and property," Mannes said.

The author is editor of PCT magazine.