Orkin B2C, B2B, B2E
Modernizing a Mature Corporate Brand From the Inside Out, Sales Up ⇧ 12%
Background Orkin was being outspent by its biggest rival Terminix 2-to-1, was losing ground to several competitors on key brand attributes and was losing 18% of its commercial and 30% of its residential customers each year. Single-digit growth on an eight figure sales & marketing budget prompted the owners to bring in a new CMO to turn the ship around.
Orkin R&D, Entomology & Learning & Development Team
Opportunity Customer segmentation research revealed segments of residential pest control users who believed Orkin technicians were impersonal and “uncaring”; that Orkin had become slow, rigid and expensive, and that its competitors had become as effective as Orkin, cared more and cost less.
Orkin Field Team
But our internal research also showed Orkin has some of the highest standards in the industry, including some of the best recruiting, technician training and pest control materials, tools and technology. Though the public didn’t know.
Approach Building on these unique and relevant people, training tools and technology strengths vs. competitors we rebranded the “Orkin Man” (a popular nickname for technicians) internally as a ‘True Professional’, created a new brand promise “Pest Control Done Right” and developed new integrated campaigns featuring a more personable, caring expert technician. Our work included TV, website re-design, digital, print, radio, OOH, direct mail, SEO, SEM and an internal employee-focused campaign including videos, posters, email, corporate voicemail messages, scripts for the 800# CSRs and more.
Orkin Field Technician
Outcome During a three year period Orkin corporate attributed our work with helping increasing year-over-year lead generation (calls, clicks and in-person appointments) 20%; elevating key brand equity measures an average of 15%; stemming the loss of commercial customers by 50% and residential customers by 35% and growing consumer and commercial sales (subscriptions) an average of 12% each year.
Agency VML (formerly Wunderman-Thompson)