As some who read this blog may know, I teach an evening class in Public Relations at La Salle University. I love my students! Truly, they keep me on my toes and they certainly can be credited with the rapid improvement of my eyesight as they try to "text" on the sly during class so that I may not see. FYI - no one taps their leg that hard that often.
Anywho, last week I had the pleasure of teaching after I had just returned from the EPA Bed Bug Summit. I was there on behalf of our client, The National Pest Management Association (NPMA; Pestworld.org) and it was quite interesting to see all of the national experts on bed bugs come together to discuss this insidious pest. Of course, as any good PR person, I was working hard to secure media interest in NPMA because truly of all of the experts in attendance, no one has a better understanding of this issue than the experts at the Association, who are in touch with the pest management firms that deal with bed bugs on a day-in/day-out basis.
And was there ever media interest! It started with an AP Story by Dina Cappiello on 4/14 (http://tinyurl.com/dxmtv6) that ran on over 200 different web sites including USAToday.com, Forbes.com, TheStreet.com, MSNBC.com, CBSNews.com. From there, NPMA expert, Greg Baumann, proceeded to conduct interviews on that same day with NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America, National Public Radio, BBC America, ABC Radio, Marketplace Radio and WTOP in Washington, DC. Suffice to say, it was "The Lemming Effect" in effect. One hit begets so much more! It permeates the culture and in an instant, bed bugs are the topic dujour (With respect to Susan Boyle, of course).
So, as a teacher, I think: THIS IS A GREAT PR CASE STUDY! It completely backs up my point that the Associated Press is the most influential and important news wire service (Chapter 9, Class). It also is a perfect example of how the 24 hour news cycle works. From 4/14 - 4/16, NPMA appeared in over 300 media placements, which resulted in nearly 20 Million impressions for this non-profit organization.
So I attend class on Wednesday evening all excited to get my "teach" on and of course, as soon as the words "bed bugs" exit my mouth, there is a look across the class as if I am kidding. And when my students realize I am not, there is a not so subtle look of sheer terror that replaces the smirks. It is as if I brought back these pests from the Summit and was ready to let them loose. I am certainly not that kind of gal. As my colleagues can attest, I talk a good game when it comes to pests but my insane allergic reactions to any "bites" makes me a prime candidate for my own Discovery Health show.
As class proceeded, I can tell you that my PR case study fell a bit on deaf ears. The topic was distracting to the class as all live in dorms, apartments and with roommates. And in many ways, instead of being a great example of how to teach "The Lemming Effect," it became a better way to teach the breakdown in Sender/Message/Receiver communication (Yes, I am a nerd. Have you not read my bio? This interests me.)
Regardless, it is a great story for the NPMA and more, it is a great example of the power of PR! It was exciting to be involved in some small way in helping to develop the "Hit beyond the Hit." More, it was exciting to share it with a group of promising PR Professionals in my class, even if they are still grappling with the knowledge that yes, bed bugs do exist. I will keep sharing my stories and clearly, striking fear into the hearts of my students, when discussing my affinity for bugs. But what can I say? Pests = News and in PR, it's always good to have a newsworthy client!