[Special Report] Green Marketing: Pest Elimination Still Outweighs "Green" to Consumers

Consumers are concerned about the environment, and it is a concern that they feel has definitely increased compared to 10 years ago. However, in selecting a pest control provider, consumers still consider elimination of the pest problem to be more important than “green” service.

Defined as “environmentally safe,” according to 83 percent of respondents in the 2007 consumer research survey commissioned by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), green service was the second most important consideration (after complete elimination) in respondents’ choice of a pest control provider.

With 93 percent of consumers responding to the online survey conducted by InsightExpress stating that they are very or somewhat concerned about the environment, and 72 percent saying this concern has increased in the last 10 years, it should not be a surprise that 55 percent of those who responded said they would be willing to pay more for the “green” service. However, “paying more” was limited to five to 10 percent by a majority of those willing to spend more (63 percent) — although two percent stated a willingness to pay in excess of 50 percent more.

Such findings, which are based on demographics representative of and projectable to the United States online population of homeowners, are important to pest management providers, said Cindy Mannes, PPMA executive director, because they enable pest management professionals to better understand the wants and needs of their customers; better direct their communication toward these needs; and ultimately, grow their business.

“I don’t believe you can make good decisions unless you’ve done research,” she said.

In addition, Mannes said, the findings can give providers cause to assess other business concerns and opportunities. For example, to respond to consumer concerns for the environment, providers should consider expansion of “green” opportunities, not simply as related to pesticides but also in other areas, such as using recycled paper, adding hybrid vehicles to their fleets or reassessing routes for better gas consumption. In addition, Mannes said, because today’s products are lower impact and more efficacious than 10 years ago and Integrated Pest Management is itself a green tool, companies can and should be marketing this to their customers.

The finding Mannes said she found most significant in this year’s survey is the consistency of results with similar studies conducted in previous years, which reinforces that the industry’s perceptions of its customers are accurate. “The thing I find more significant is that there’s not a lot of change, which means we’re on the right track,” she said. “We’re still connecting with consumers.”

Editor’s note: PPMA consumer research is conducted on an annual basis to provide the industry with a current understanding of consumer needs and attitudes. As with all PPMA studies, the research is fully funded by contributions to the alliance by “people in the industry just like people reading this article,” Mannes said, “and with more funding we can do more research.” Complete results of this survey and other PPMA tools are available to contributors at www.ppmatools.org.
 
The author is a frequent contributor to PCT.

Are You Missing Green Business Opportunities?

The National Pest Management Association’s “Going Green: Marketing to the 21st Century Customer” conference will address and educate residential and commercial pest management companies on growth opportunities and championing profitability in the “green” market segment.

The event is sponsored by Nisus Corporation. In addition, there will be a marketplace with other green product suppliers. It will be held Nov. 28-30 at the Westin Tabor Center in Denver. NPMA has assembled a program that encompasses education, networking and a green marketplace for suppliers to exhibit their green products and services. NPMA said the meeting will provide PCOs with the latest consumer research, highlight successful case histories from innovative pest management companies, and provide PCOs with a turnkey toolbox so that they can hit the ground running when they return to the office.

Topics include:

• The Greening of America
• What Will Consumers Pay for Green Services?
• What American Consumers Are Thinking
• Understanding Risk and Communicating It to Your Customers and Employees
• Adopting Green Pest Control: Case Histories
• Avoiding the Regulatory Pitfalls
• Tools to Get You Started

To register for the event, contact NPMA at 800/678-6722 or visit www.npmapestworld.org/Events. For hotel reservations at the Westin Tabor Center, call 888/627-8435 by Oct. 28 and mention “NPMA” to receive the group rate of $139 per night.