PPMA Board of Directors Meets at PestWorld 2013

Phoenix, Ariz. — About 40 people attended the Professional Pest Management Alliance Board of Directors meeting today prior to the start of NPMA PestWorld.

Missy Henriksen, PPMA executive director, welcomed the board to Phoenix and explained PPMA’s successes and objectives for 2013 and 2014. “It really has been a phenomenal year (for PPMA),” Henriksen said.

The group garnered 1,100 media placements so far this year. PPMA-generated media impressions topped 2 billion garnered this year, which has an ad value of more than $81 million. This includes PSAs, Facebook efforts, consumer media, banner advertising and more. (In 2012 there were 1.1 billion impressions; there were 1 billion in 2011.)

Henriksen presented the 2014 marketing communications plan, which includes a continued focus on the industry’s key demographic of homeowners, particularly women, aged 35-65. PPMA intends to continue its media outreach and public service announcement program, while allocating increased resources in online communications, social media and video development.

The PPMA Board approved the 2014 marketing plan which includes a re-launch of the industry’s children’s website, PestWorldForKids.org, a research study conducted in partnership with the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America and a satellite media tour featuring a HGTV-type celebrity spokesperson.

Other highlights of the meeting included:
•    March 16-22, 2014, has been designated “Termite Awareness Week”
•    April 20-26, 2014, has been designated “Bed Bug Awareness Week”
•    PPMA has a budget of $1.9 million, which is the same as 2012, said Norman Goldenberg, treasurer.
•    PPMA Pest Pics is a photo gallery exclusively for PPMA investors. PPMA is providing high-resolution insect images for PMPs to use.
•    PPMA has almost 300 contributors and continues to try to recruit new contributors and guardians.
•    PPMA’s annual pest control usage survey found that 33 percent of households with incomes $75,000 or more have used professional pest control in the past year, which is up from 30 percent in 2012. “That number is moving in the direction of what we’d like to see,” Henriksen said.
•    PPMA has several other initiatives at NPMA PestWorld, including:
    >> Wednesday, Oct. 23, 3:00-4:15pm: Educational Session: Who Is Your Customer? Results of PPMA's Market Research and Overview of PPMA Perks
    >> Thursday, October 24, 1:00-2:30pm: Educational Session: Social Media: The Rules of Engagement

    Additionally, PPMA has a booth in the exhibit hall (booth 933), at which representatives will be serving pie, since PPMA continues to “grow the pie” of the professional pest management industry.