LOGO: PPMA / NPMA
It’s time for Pest Control Professionals (PMPs) to join Bed Bug Awareness Week, which runs from June 7th to 13th this year. The annual awareness campaign is sponsored by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as public relations work for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).
Bed Bug Awareness Week is recognized on the Chase calendar of events and celebrated throughout the pest control industry. Through various media and social media strategies, PPMA will educate the public about the need for careful bed bug prevention, the signs of an infestation, and the importance of working with licensed PMPs to contain the infestation.
“With all the excitement that comes with the prospect of summer travel, when home restrictions are slowly being lifted across the country, it’s easy to forget that bed bugs are still a major threat,” said Cindy Mannes, managing director of PPMA . “It is a common misconception that bed bugs simply go away without human hosts, since they can actually survive for several months while they wait for their next meal. Bed bug populations, which were identified in hotels prior to the COVID-19 crisis and are affecting occupancy, may be hungrier than ever and pose an increased threat to unsuspecting travelers. “
With more than six million online conversations about bed bugs in the U.S. in April 2020 alone – a 70 percent increase from April 2019 – PPMA is encouraging PMPs to get involved using the custom marketing materials provided by the association.
PPMA encourages PMPs and industry members to join the game by launching media campaigns, including making their company’s social media pages available for bed bugs during the week and using the hashtag #BedBugWeek on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
“To help our partners who have supported our industry’s initiatives by investing in PPMA, we developed a robust Bed Bug Awareness Week toolkit to promote their business and the importance of working with a pest control professional. We’ll also be releasing a series of exclusive videos next week showing the consumer audience how heavy and difficult it is to control these hitchhiking pests, ”added Mannes.
The toolkit is available for download from PPMAMainframe.org, an exclusive digital marketing hub that contains hundreds of custom, professionally designed marketing materials and assets that PMPs can use to promote their business. The Bed Bug Awareness Week kit includes a customizable press release, featured social media content, Bed Bug Awareness Week logos, high-resolution photos, media training documents, and a list of video content that can be embedded directly on a company’s website.
Let us know what you’re doing for #BedBugWeek on social media or send an email to pmpeditor@northcoastmedia.net.
