Western was facing an interesting problem. There was no growth in the category, yet the competitive landscape was getting larger. And the competition ran the gamut, from national pest control companies to mom-and-pop exterminators to the ever-ready can of bug spray.
We talked with service reps and customers and mapped the decision-making process, the motivators and the obstacles of the male and female homeowner. We knew that, in order to capture the attention of these consumers, we had to differentiate Western from the serious marketing tone everyone else was using.
Western’s core values of smart pest elimination technologies and personalized service served as our starting point. Pests are the problem and Western is the Smart Solution®. We fleshed out the Smart Solution® message through concept-driven creative campaigns that were actualized through a full array of traditional and non-traditional media. Across the board, we used humorous situations where Western ‘saved the day’.
The creative broke through and became viral. Lead generation spiked across the entire Western footprint. Twenty-three branches saw a double-digit growth in leads. Three branches saw triple-digit growth. Corporate wide, Western’s lead generation grew 14 percent in a year where the industry overall was down 5 percent.
Today, Western continues to work with Princeton Partners to creatively and strategically engage its customers through integrated digital and social media strategies.