When marketers at the Atlanta-based Cowan & Joseph (C&J) advertising agency got the assignment to launch the Beacon Eye Institute's (Toronto) state-of-the-art laser vision correction facilities and services in this country, they zeroed in on some of the pre-existing consumer fears about this pricey, relatively new procedure.
"We knew we had to create positive feelings for the company and the category before we could sell [consumers] on some of the key benefits of the procedure," said Stan Joseph, C&J's president.
The multimillion-dollar campaign kicked off in April 1996 and had a three-fold objective:
- To introduce the Beacon Laser Centers in four Texas markets (San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Austin) and Denver;
- To position the company as the premier provider of high-quality vision service and care; and
- To create consideration of the Beacon Laser Vision Correction procedure.
But the marketing barriers were tremendous, concedes Keith Moore, Beacon's chairman and CEO, highlighting the challenges of one company singularly developing a category for corrective laser vision procedures.
"We are out there building this category alone, it's expensive. and we've only scratched the surface."
The campaign primarily targeted the early adapter target of adult contact lens wearers and secondarily people in occupations that require 20/20 "natural" vision like firemen and policemen. Using the catchy taglines, "Children Should Be Seen and Not Blurred," and "I Can See Clearly Now," the copy addressed key concerns about the procedure, emphasizing "No eye patches. No needles. No hospital stay."
The majority of media dollars (90%) supported the markets where clinics were being launched with local TV, radio, print and direct mail to drive traffic and make the phone lines light up.
A conservative national effort in USA Today and inflight magazines (about 10% of the media budget) was used to announce Beacon's arrival in the U.S.
By first quarter of 1997 Beacon's information line lit up with more than 125,000 consumers and eye care professionals. So far, 65,000 consumers have identified themselves as potential candidates.
But conversion rates for the $4,000 to $5,000 procedure aren't where they should be, according to Moore, who would not disclose actual numbers but emphasized Beacon's continued marketing charge to achieve recognition for the category. (C&J, 770/395-9255)