Last fall, an integrated campaign to launch a breakthrough hearing aid had physicians at the Association of Dispensing Audiologists all ears. Hundreds of physicians requested follow- up information about how the new Sonic Innovations' Natura hearing device mimics natural sound. The demand was more than twice what the company had projected, says Sonic VP of marketing Orlando Rodrigues.
The campaign positions Natura as a "natural sounding, life-like" device and combats the stigma of wearing a hearing aid; nine million Americans who should be wearing one don't. The objective for the newest entrant in a crowded hearing aid market of at least 32 competitors was to create a "push-pull" demand for Natura with an integrated campaign that grabbed the attention of the medical community and spurred interest among both consumers and potential investors.
Sonic recruited the advertising expertise of HMC Advertising & Marketing in New York and the PR muscle of Schwartz Communications in Waltham, Mass.
The ads show a husband and wife enjoying pleasant conversation in a crowded restaurant amid background noises like a car alarm and live music. These would be major distractions for users of competitive hearing aids. The tagline sums up Natura's digital technology - "Conversation never sounded so good."
This advertising approach is a sharp detour from the stodgy campaigns of other hearing aids which are often built around offers for free cruises to those who purchase the product, says Steven Wice, an SVP at HMC.
The consumer print effort highlighted Natura's marketing claims with user and audiologist testimonials and images of the small but powerful computer chip technology. Broad reach newspapers and consumer magazines including USA Today, Forbes, Readers' Digest and the Associated Press wire service ran Natura stories, triggering an industry buzz since the October trade show, says Rodrigues.
(Sonic Innovations, Orlando Rodrigues, 801/288-0993; HMC Advertising, Steven Wice, 212/771-3641; Schwartz Communications, Lloyd Benson, 781/684-0770)