If you are old enough to remember, the headline of this article was the song title of the first video ever played on a burgeoning cable channel called MTV. MTV ended up changing how music was consumed and marketed in the decades ahead. (Trivia question: What band recorded that song?)

What do MTV videos and pest management have to do with one another? On the surface very little, but if you attended the National Pest Management Association’s Technology Summit in December 2019 and sat in on the session by Jeff King of The Pest Rangers of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., you walked away singing a different tune.

King has enlisted video marketing as a way to reach consumers in Northeastern Pennsylvania to tell his company’s story in a way that will stand out, especially to the sought after Millennial and Z generations who are seeking to engage solutions for their pest issues.

“Video fits into today’s customers’ habits for gathering information and making decisions on who to work with,” says King. “Video makes complex concepts simple and shares the journey with the customer.”

When you consider that more than 300 hours of video are uploaded each minute and almost 5 billion videos are viewed daily on YouTube, you see why video marketing has its appeal.

King got started with video marketing after watching a local television commercial for a car dealer and being impressed with the quality of the video. He knew the owners of the dealership and they connected him with the local production company that produced the commercial.

The conversation with the production company led to The Pest Rangers doing one long (2 to 3 minute) and two short (30 to 40 seconds) videos each month. The videos feature King and Pest Rangers employees in “explainer videos” that inform and educate customers on everything from how to set a mouse trap to breaking down the company’s home pest protection packages.

When it comes to selecting a production company, King says do your research and ask questions, so you know fully what’s involved from costs to time commitment. King says they typically spend one day a month shooting and the production company creates multiple videos from that day.

“So much can be done with video when it comes to answering customer questions and putting a face to your company,” says King. “It allows us to take a picture and share a story.”

When it comes to sharing a story, King isn’t afraid to allow customers to look behind the curtain at The Pest Rangers. The company recently shared a video documenting a mouse issue they had in their office and what they were doing to solve it.

While many PMPs wouldn’t be too keen on sharing that they have a mouse issue in their own “house,” King thought it would be a fun way of getting the message across.

King recommends pest management professionals keep the following in mind as they embark down the path of video marketing:

• Select a professional video production company to work with — quality in presentation matters.
• Be mindful of what you say and your actions in all videos. Project professionalism and always emphasize safety.
• Have fun with it. Engage employees who are interested.

Grow Revenue. Marketers who use video are growing company revenue 49 percent faster year-over-year than those who don’t.

Influence Buying Decisions. A whopping 90 percent of customers say that product videos help them make buying decisions and 64 percent say that watching a video makes them more likely to buy. Plus, 97 percent of marketers say that video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service.

Give People What They Want. Consumers prefer video content over emails, newsletters, social images, social videos, blog posts and downloadable content (like PDFs). When consumers are considering buying a product or service and want to research their options, they use a variety of methods. Some of the top tactics include using a search engine, visiting a company or product’s official website, looking at review websites, and watching videos. Video easily can be added into each of these platforms, giving your brand a better chance of convincing the consumer.

Rank Higher in Search. Video can help improve your website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The amount of time a visitor spends on your page after arriving from a Google search can impact how high you appear in results. Known as dwell time, this is an important Google ranking factor.

• Video is an incredibly effective way to bump up this metric, with 80 percent of marketers saying that video has increased dwell time on their sites.
• The average Internet user spends 88 percent more time on a website that contains video. And, on average, websites that include video have a two minute longer dwell time compared to those that don’t.

Websites that make effective use of video increase their likelihood of being ranked on the first page of Google results by as much as 53 percent. Finally, 55 percent of search results for keyword searches in the U.S. contain at least one video.

Increase Website and Social Media Traffic. Video users enjoy 41 percent more web traffic from search than non-users.

Get More Backlinks. Embedding a video into a page or post nearly triples the average number of linking domains.

Bump Up Conversions. Video users have 27 percent higher click-through rates and 34 percent higher web conversion rates. Plus, using video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80 percent.

Crush Email Sends. Using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19 percent, click-through rates by 65 percent and reduces unsubscribes by 26 percent. Adding video to email can boost click rates by up to 300 percent.

Reach Decision Makers. Three-quarters of business executives watch work-related videos weekly. Plus, 54 percent of senior executives share work-related videos with colleagues every week.

Furthermore, 59 percent of senior executives agree that if text and video are available on the same topic on the same page, they would prefer to watch the video. They’re not the only ones, though: 72 percent of people would rather use video to learn about a product or service.

Rack Up Shares. Social video generates 1,200 percent more shares than text and images combined. If your brand creates video content that the intended audience enjoys, 83 percent of consumers say they would consider sharing it with their friends.

Answer to the trivia question on page 62? The Buggles.

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT magazine and is a partner in B Communications.

When you think of superheroes you think of Captain America, Iron Man or the Hulk but when it comes to employee safety in your company the superheroes can be Joe, Cheryl or Hector.

Creating a proactive safety culture in your company requires buy-in from the top down and when it comes to identifying “superheroes” within your ranks.

Linda Midyett, area vice president and loss prevention manager for PestSure, says to look at employees who have demonstrated good safety practices and whose behavior you can model for other employees.

“Being an active listener and critical thinker is a must,” says Midyett, and technicians/managers who’ve been in the field learn to solicit information without a rush to judgment. “They know what employees are up against it since they have done the work.”

Emphasizing safety pays multiple dividends for companies that embrace the concept. Safety means everything from lower premiums to increased productivity to the simple (and most important) fact that your employees will return home to their families safe and sound at the end of the workday.

What stops companies from consistently and effectively creating and maintaining safety programs? “Most companies simply haven’t thought of it because they are running in so many directions at one time,” says Midyett. “There are missed opportunities to prevent losses in the course of daily operations, but many companies only react when it impacts the bottom line.”

MAKING A PLAN. Midyett says the model for developing a safety program is likely already in place in most companies.

“Companies already have proven systems in place for sales and production, product inventory, fleet management and technician training,” says Midyett. “Safety training can be accomplished in a similar fashion.”

When it comes to safety, employees will follow the lead of their peers and tapping into employees with a demonstrated record of promoting and practicing safety are your best safety “superheroes.” Here are some ways to improve your practices.

The Tools to Succeed. Make sure employees have the proper tools and equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), to work safely and prevent accidents. It also means conducting job safety analyses (JSAs) to identify hazards, coaching employees to help them learn to perform their jobs more safely, and being available to answer questions, offer feedback, and discuss safety problems and concerns that employees may have.

Employees must feel free to come to their supervisor any time they have a problem or question concerning safety or to report incidents and hazards without fear of blame or retaliation.

Enforce Safety Policies and Rules. This begins with supervisors informing employees about safety policies and rules. It means providing constructive feedback when supervisors see employees taking shortcuts or not following safety requirements. It also may involve administering consequences for breaking rules and violating policies.

Provide Regular Safety Training. Training must create awareness of safe behavior, teach required skills for working safely, increase knowledge by providing accurate, up-to-date information about workplace hazards and safe practices and procedures, and shape employee attitudes toward workplace safety. And it must be done consistently.

Midyett knows time is the most precious commodity companies and technicians have and pulling someone off his or her route is a challenge. She says safety training doesn’t always have to be a formalized process and offers the following suggestions to help better communicate your safety message:

• The Safety Huddle. Can take place at the start or end of a shift with planned, relevant content. Build it in — don’t tack it on — to the schedule. Be brief, be specific and be straight to the point. Safety huddle ideas can include:
• How to identify dangerous intersections
• Working at heights
• Safe backup and parking practices
• New product discussions
• The Safety Clinic. Tackles more specific (i.e., ladder safety) topics with more in-depth, hands on training. (See “Incentives” at right for more ideas.)
• The Safety Activity. Plan your safety training calendar for the year — tap into employees for ideas on activities including working through job hazard assessments, reviewing incidents, mapping out unsafe intersections in community, etc.
• The Safety Brainstorm. Set time aside to review an incident after it takes place and look at how to correct the error so it doesn’t happen again. This is a good method for obtaining information from the field without being there. Be prepared to act upon suggestions.

The most important element in any safety training program is consistency. It is a daily process and safety leaders must find ways to incorporate short, frequent safety communication into the workday.

SETTING INCENTIVES. Incentives are a standard part of sales and production programs so why not apply it to safety training? With data playing a bigger role in all aspects of pest management, managers can use data to measure and incentivize safety training.

Midyett recommends any safety incentive program follow the SMART rule:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Actionable
• Realistic and achievable
• Timed

Consider the following safety training incentive ideas:

Ride Alongs. Set a specific number (weekly, monthly, etc.) of ride alongs that are safety based. Supervisors should be observing things such as PPE use, safe navigation on the jobsite, proper inspection and use of equipment, safe work methods (mixing, ladder use, dog protocols, etc.), safe driving, “eyes on path” and safe application methods. Use an audit form signed by the shadowed employee to verify the ride along and observations made.

Training Talks. Schedule safety training talks to be given each month — the content can be pre-determined and the method for delivery (huddle, clinic, demonstrations) outlined. Document that action items have been completed.

Conduct a tailgate safety talk each week on a topic outlined on your annual training calendar (i.e., September — ladders; February — safe navigation and situational awareness; March — respirator inspections; April — avoiding dog bites, etc.) or do a huddle on walking a new account to spot hazards to highlight situational awareness.

Safety Clinics. Holding a specific number of “hands-on” monthly or quarterly clinic demonstrations. The clinics could cover topics more thoroughly than in the classroom or safety huddle. Topics may include:

• Ladder loading and unloading
• Safe attic access
• Maintaining your ___ (sprayer, etc.)
• Safe ladder set up and use of ladder add-ons
• Auger demonstrations
• PPE kit inspections

These clinics should be conducted by supervisors or safety “superheroes,” but the supervisor is responsible to be certain they are held and that employees are participating.

The goal of investing time and resources into building a strong safety culture is simple — to prevent an incident from happening in the first place.

“An accident avoided is a victory for the company and the employee,” says Midyett. “There is always room to add safety to the conversation and use your safety ‘superheroes.’”

Jeff Fenner is a frequent contributor to PCT.

Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from Techletter.

A pesticide’s shelf life is the period of time that it can be stored before it deteriorates, or the length of time that it will remain effective and still work. There are four main factors that affect the shelf life of a pesticide.

#1 Time

Everything ages and very few things (maybe wine and cheese) get better with time. As a general rule, any pesticide that has been opened and stored for more than one year should be checked for effectiveness. Open containers of dry pesticides should be disposed of after one year. Most products, though, will remain effective for at least two years, some longer when stored between 40-85°F (4.4-29.4°C), unopened, in original containers.

#2 Storage Conditions

Even pesticides that have a long shelf life under ideal conditions can deteriorate rapidly when exposed to environmental extremes. Overexposure to humidity, air and light, and especially temperature, can cause chemicals to lose their effectiveness much sooner than expected. Pesticides last longer when stored in a cool, dry place. Storage areas should be ventilated with temperatures between 40-85°F (4.4-19.4°C). Pesticides should never be placed in direct sunlight either in storage or inside your vehicle. Exposure to very cold temperatures can cause pesticides to separate or gel. This can be a permanent, irreversible change, but sometimes the pesticide can be restored to normal with warming and shaking.

#3 Stability of the Container

While a pesticide still sealed in its original container should last for years, once the container is opened, deterioration begins. To slow the breakdown, reseal opened containers as tightly as possible. Over time, pesticides can increase in acidity and containers can corrode, crack, seams tear or seams fail. Containers vary greatly in their ability to protect the pesticide in case of flooding or other moisture infiltration. Pesticides in glass, metal or plastic containers have the greatest protection; pressurized spray cans can corrode; and paper or cardboard packaging offers little protection at all in wet conditions.

#4 Stability of the Formulation

Whether the product is dry, liquid, concentrate or ready-to-use makes a difference in its shelf life. Dry formulations such as dusts, wettable powders or granules usually store better at low temperatures than liquids, but they break down more easily than liquids when exposed to high temperatures, humidity or sunlight. Formulations that contain low concentrations of active ingredient generally lose effectiveness faster than more concentrated formulations. Certain inert ingredients in the product, like stabilizers and emulsifiers, also will affect its shelf life.

TOO OLD? It’s normal for many pesticide formulations to separate or clump to some extent as they sit, but excessive separation or clumping that cannot be remixed is a clue that the product has deteriorated. If you suspect a pesticide may have deteriorated, mix a small amount in a jar to see how it mixes:

• If an emulsifiable concentrate forms a sludge or the mixture separates when water is added, instead of forming the normal milky coloration, it means the product has lost its ability to form an emulsion.
• If a wettable powder is cakey and will not mix with water, the product has deteriorated.
• If a dust or granular is clumping and cannot be separated by shaking, the product may be too damp to be effective.
• If a normally clear liquid has developed a milky appearance, water has probably gotten into the container. If moisture gets into a container of oil-based pesticides, you will be able see it as a separate layer.

Pesticides last longer when stored in a cool, dry place. Storage areas should be ventilated with temperatures between 40-85°F (4.4-19.4°C).

Many pesticides change properties as they break down. Some become more toxic, flammable or explosive. Some liquid pesticides build up gases, which can rupture a container, or put you at risk when you open the container. Contrary to what you might think, the characteristic smell of certain pesticides becomes even stronger as they deteriorate. An unusually strong odor in the storage area may mean there is a pesticide leak or spill, but it also can be an indication of deteriorating pesticides.

Old pesticides not only don’t work as well, they also can clog and damage your application equipment. Mix some in a jar to check the consistency before you add it to your equipment. Unfortunately, there is no good way (outside of a laboratory) to check whether an old product will still kill pests other than to treat an infestation and monitor the results.

Manufacturers often list the shelf life of the pesticide on the container. If you know when you purchased it, you can determine if it should still be viable. If you don’t have that information, check with the manufacturer. A check of the lot number, stamped on the container, can tell you when the product was manufactured. Most pesticides are not backed by the manufacturer if stored longer than two years.

The authors are well-known industry consultants and owners of Pinto & Associates.

Overit, a creative advertising and marketing agency in Albany, N.Y., is using new and innovative approaches to break the traditional mold of advertising within the pest control industry.

Through its work with Catseye, A-1 Pest Control, Thomas Pest Services, Dixon Pest Services and Citywide Exterminating, Overit has pushed the boundaries of innovation by creating campaigns typically associated with their high-level clients, such as Marvel and Netflix.

Dan Dinsmore, owner and founder of Overit, said, “We dug in really deep and found out that, creatively, we were able to do all of the things that we do for very high-level clients, in the pest control industry, and it had a great effect on sales and growth. So, we kept going.”

Dinsmore said that Overit has grown to become passionate about working with the pest control industry and this market has become a main focus for the company.

“We relate really well to folks in the industry,” Dinsmore said. “We know the industry really well and we’ve become really focused on (pest control) expertise.”

Some examples of out-of-the-box advertising that Overit has done for pest control companies include Pixar-like characters with storylines, comic strips, mobile phone applications, games and even stuffed animals.

The company is currently developing an audio and voice application for the pest industry that aids in pest identification.

“We’re looking into new, creative ways to use video and mobile phones to be able to identify pests,” Dinsmore said.

CATSEYE MAKEOVER. One of the company’s most visual campaigns for a pest control company is the work the firm did for Albany-based Catseye, primarily between 2010 and 2015. As part of this campaign, Overit worked on a cartoon pilot in which they created brand stories based on a central cat character. Overit also worked on online advertising, content marketing and video game development for Catseye. As a result of Overit’s work, Catseye’s total lead value increased by $99,010, their paid search leads increased by 64 percent and time users spent on the company’s website increased by 40 percent.

Catseye has since sold its upstate New York business so — except for some small updates along with some animation and 3D work — all their marketing and advertising moved in-house.

It was Overit’s work with Catseye that caught the attention and interest of other pest control companies, including Thomas Pest Services in upstate N.Y.

Sarah Thomas-Clark of Thomas Pest Services said that she was initially intimidated to reach out to Overit because they worked with larger companies. However, she was drawn to their progressive approach to marketing.

The company focuses carefully on PMPs’ needs, Thomas-Clark said. “They want to be able to look at things and make sure it’s going to provide you value.”

Thomas-Clark said that, despite COVID-19, Overit has helped Thomas Pest Services grow tremendously.

“We’re having a terrific year and I definitely attribute my growth to having them as a partner,” Thomas-Clark said.

Specifically, Thomas-Clark said Overit has helped boost her company’s web traffic. Since the beginning of 2020, Thomas Pest Solutions has had a 40 percent increase in new website users, a 125 percent increase in web page reviews and a 56 percent decrease in bounce rate, which is the number of users who leave a site after viewing one page. The company’s revenue is also up 33 percent year over year (YOY) through May, with January of 2020 posting a 50 percent YOY increase alone, according to Alex Tancredi, senior business development associate for Overit.

A GOOD FIT. Tancredi and Dinsmore said Overit has helped companies like Thomas Pest Services increase sales because of its innovative approach to marketing.

Dinsmore credits individuals within the pest control industry for their openness to innovation.

“We are working with clients that are very open to pushing the boundaries,” Dinsmore said. “And I think that was something that we found with our early pest control clients like Catseye. Having people that we get to work with that allow us to push boundaries and are open to new and innovative ideas has really paid off in a big way for our clients and our partners and us as well.”

Dinsmore also said that traditional advertising in the pest control industry needed to be taken to another level. Most companies were following what everyone else was doing, he said.

“There was just an immense opportunity, from a branding perspective and from a marketing perspective, to help leverage these companies and really create amazing brands,” Dinsmore added.

He said Overit strives to create memorable brands for companies and not just the services they provide. “Brand does matter, and uniqueness does matter,” Dinsmore said. “People want to be able to relate to who they’re doing business with and who’s coming into their home.”

Charles Dixon, owner of Dixon Pest Services in Thomasville, Ga., recognized this importance when hiring Overit in February 2020. Dixon decided to work with Overit after receiving a “glowing recommendation” from Bruce Roberts, owner of A-1 Pest Control, Lenoir, N.C. A-1 is a longtime member of the PCO networking organization PestOne along with Dixon Pest Services. “I just continue to be impressed,” Dixon said.

Unlike Dixon Pest Services, which has just begun working with Overit, A-1 Pest Control has been one of Overit’s clients since December 2018.

In 2019, A-1 finished 13 percent up YOY in total revenue, Tancredi said. So far in 2020, the company grew 13 percent at the end the first quarter, with March finishing 25 percent up compared to 2019, he added.

MORE DATA DRIVEN. Despite having creativity and branding at their roots, Tancredi said, as Overit has moved into the age of digital marketing, they have become more data driven.

One way that the company uses data to help its clients is through the use of a custom-built marketing analytics dashboard that they call “Overlytics.” The dashboards are customized from the ground up and can show clients everything that they are doing, even down to the weather data and how it might be affecting certain sales, Tancredi said.

By creating the Overlytics dashboard, Overit’s clients can view their data anytime and anywhere they want. This helps clients to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their company.

“For us, it’s about creating the most transparent funnel possible for our clients to have the most holistic understanding of everything they’re doing so that they can see all of their efforts at any time of day, anywhere they want,” Tancredi said.

Both Tancredi and Dinsmore say that Overit really aims to “dive into the weeds” of their clients’ businesses and act as an “extension of their team.” To do so, the company commits to visiting their client’s location and truly learning about the workings behind the business. Tancredi even mentioned going on ride-alongs with technicians.

“We’re really digging in to understand what makes your business tick,” Dinsmore said.

Outside of their work for the pest control industry, Overit has done advertising, production and web applications for Proctor & Gamble, Experion, Mercedes-Benz, The Daily Gazette, various shows for Netflix, Amazon and Apple Plus and more. The company even played a role in the production of Geico’s Pinocchio series that ran during this year’s Super Bowl.

The company has seven different departments that all play a role in the work it does for its clients. The departments include audio and studio, video production, application and web development, design and creative, digital strategy and analytics, public relations, and content.

“It’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of really talented people working together,” Tancredi said.

NEW DIGS. The creative agency strives to be innovative in all areas of their business, including their workspace. In 2012, after outgrowing their old space, Overit moved into an old church that they renovated as a workspace. The space allows for an open, collaborative environment for members of all teams to work together.

The company reutilized the church’s original materials, including transforming the wooden pews into desks. They also kept all the original stained-glass windows and other traditional elements to maintain the church’s architecture and dignity, Dinsmore said.

Tancredi said that he feels the building is a good representation of the company’s culture.

“The building itself gives off the essence of who we are,” he said. “It’s an incredibly designed space that really shows off what our creative abilities are.”

Dinsmore emphasized that nothing at Overit is cookie-cutter and the company aims to promote that mentality through the work it creates.

“We kind of think we helped break the mold of just copying everybody else,” Dinsmore said of Overit’s work with pest control companies. “It’s been a lot of fun and we continue to just keep pushing the boundaries there.”

The author is an Ohio-based writer.