[Mannes on Marketing] Adapting to the Brave New World

Adapt or die. In this industry we all know that the insect world is notorious for being able to adapt. Whether it is to climate or control products — the bug world has survived and adapted for millions of years. And as far as change, where would we be in this world without change? We wouldn’t have butterflies.

ADAPTING AND CHANGE. In the world today, it is an uncharted time. There are some who say it will never again be “business as usual” but “business as unusual.” With the entrepreneurial spirit of the pest control industry I have great faith in our ability to adapt to the ever-changing world we live in. We have the ability to continue to move this industry forward if we all adapt to marketing to the public with the same message.

The current economic environment gives us all great opportunities to hone in on our message to the public and speak with one voice — we are protectors of public health and property. That is what we do. I don’t know of another job where we can stand up very proudly and say that we protect families and homes. We are marketing protection — to families and homes. Without our services pest-related diseases would prosper and grow. Ticks can carry Lyme disease; cockroaches and mice produce allergens proven to cause asthma attacks in children; mosquitoes can spread West Nile virus; rodents can spread hantavirus. The list goes on and on.  The American public, for the most part, is accustomed to a clean sanitized environment that we have provided. But they need to be reminded. Again and again. This is why I want each and every one of you to think long and hard before you take a scalpel to your marketing efforts.

Whatever your marketing efforts may be — large or small — continuing to remind your customers and potential customers of the value we provide in the quality of life they have today is key to your success in this uncharted time. Sounds pretty good, huh? But what do you do when you absolutely need to make some cuts to “adapt or die”?  Here are a few tips that I feel confident you will be able to incorporate into your business strategy (after all, there is no other industry that I am aware of with more passion, energy and entrepreneurial spirit):

Tip #1: Double-down on your existing customers. Make happy customers even happier. Common wisdom says that, in general, 80% of profits come from 20% of customers. In a recession, the 80/20 rule is replaced by the 95/5 rule. When customers make decisions about where to buy a service or who to buy it from, in a downturn they are more likely to turn to existing sources — if they are happy and satisfied.  Service that customer and solve their problems. Make yourself indispensible in protecting their family’s health and property. And let them know you are doing it.   

Tip #2: Spend smarter. The Chinese symbol for challenge is the same as it is for opportunity.  This current economy gives us an opportunity to look at every marketing expenditure and make sure it is “need to have” not just “nice to have.” And that is the message you should be communicating to your customers and potential customers. We are a “need to have” service — if you want to protect your family’s health and property. By “spend smarter” I mean create a clear-cut justification for the investment. While you won‘t always be able to measure the ROI (this is a marketing column, after all), you can create a compelling business case for each and every investment.

Tip #3: Invest in growing market segments. In every downturn there are market segments that grow faster than others. Keep your ear to the ground. Most companies in our industry don’t have a “social media director” on staff.  With that in mind, I’d suggest you get yourself up to speed very, very, quickly. You need to be on the Internet every day, monitoring the chatter about your industry and your company. Since bad news spreads faster than a wildfire, active blog monitoring is the first line of defense, offering a firewall between your company and an image-burning disaster. By paying attention to what is being said about your company you may even turn a customer into an advocate simply by acknowledging the person’s comments.

And, given how few companies bother to engage their customers, those that do are frequently met with “Wow, I didn‘t know you cared that much“ and vows of eternal loyalty — loyalty that will float your boat for years to come. Read the newspaper, stay on top of industry trends by attending meetings, networking or stay tuned into Web stories and news.  Five years ago who would have thought we would be doing bed bug work again? 

Tip #4: Stay focused. It’s fun to try lots of marketing activities and throw ideas (and money) at the wall to see what sticks.  But now is not the time.  Focus on what you are good at — and continue to beat that drum – with customers and potential customers.

Tip #5: Partner with non-profits. Yes that’s right. You may not want to spend that extra $100 to sponsor a baseball team but the goodwill that will create in your community is one of those intangibles that will make customers and potential customers think twice about cancelling your service.  Giving back to the community where you live and work is a strategy not to be overlooked.

FINAL THOUGHTS. In a magical moment from the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” a minstrel sings of Brave Sir Robin and how he “ran away, he ran away” when faced with adversity. In the uncharted world we live in today I would offer one piece of advice: Don’t be Brave Sir Robin.  

As the old saying goes, with each challenge comes opportunity. Adapt or die. I’m betting on our industry adapting to this brave new world.

The author is chief marketing and strategy officer for Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators.