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Up Front | Mar 2003

“Hi-Definition Vision” Comes of Age

A report on the launch of CustomCornea.

Hi-Definition Vision: imagine the possibilities.? That's the thought-provoking (and trademarked) message being shared with patients in San Diego and New Orleans, where two of the country's first marketing campaigns for CustomCornea were launched during the first quarter of 2003.

At press-time, it appears all is well on the CustomCornea front. During seminars given in January and February in San Diego, surgeons reported that 100% of the initial sector of patients undergoing CustomCornea treatment with Alcon's LADARVision (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX) technology were seeing 20/20 or better 2 weeks postoperatively. In New Orleans, results were equally as promising, and treated patients agree that describing CustomCornea as “Hi-Definition Vision” accurately depicts the view of life they are now enjoying.

Granted, both samplings were of a very limited number of patients (compared with the millions who have undergone traditional LASIK). But, for an industry that is in desperate need of a shot in the arm, these initial results should come as welcome news to refractive surgeons, patients, and news media nationwide. Only time will tell if CustomCornea really is the next-generation procedure we have all been waiting for, but early indications look extremely favorable.

A TENTATIVE YES
However promising the initial surgical results of CustomCornea appear, the real question among refractive surgeons and marketing professionals is this: Will the advent of CustomCornea and other wavefront-guided laser technologies be the impetus needed to jump-start the somewhat sagging LASIK surgical volumes that many surgeons are experiencing?

The answer is a tentative yes. We only have 30 days of actual marketing data on which to base our opinion, and the economy has still not completely recovered. Additionally, the media has not yet fully embraced the idea that a dramatic breakthrough in LASIK has occurred. The answer is also tentative because the public does not yet understand the full potential of CustomCornea and the potential benefits it has to offer. Moreover, the national PR campaign that Alcon promises has yet to fully expose the media to the potential of their promising new technology.

The company does appear, however, to be making a stronger national push as more LADARVision with CustomCornea units are put into the field. Because the general public has been so desensitized to LASIK advertising during the past several years, Alcon's strategy of conducting direct-to-consumer PR campaigns appears to be a solid move. We can hope that their efforts to ?fight the war where it is being waged? will combat the negative press that has been plaguing the LASIK industry. Included in Alcon's overall campaign will be the distribution of materials on the local level, a strategy designed to allow practices to take advantage of the national media exposure the company plans to generate. I fully agree with Alcon when they say the credible sources that the media provide are our best allies in the fight to resurrect the overall LASIK industry. Let us all hope this plan comes to fruition.

Despite the tentative nature of the answer, response to the initial marketing campaigns has been favorable. Is “jump-start” too strong a word to describe the marketing potential of CustomCornea at this stage in its marketing life? Yes. Will the masses of myopes with little or no astigmatism suddenly show up in force at your front desk, willing to pay between $4,000 and $5,000 for CustomCornea? Probably not. Has response to initial campaigns been overwhelming? No.

Nevertheless, comprehensive tracking information on qualitative lead generation, patient response, and overall conversion from CustomCornea campaigns in both New Orleans and San Diego indicate increased call counts, easier conversion, and less resistance to increased pricing structures. Cindy Haskell, Director of Marketing and Practice Development for GordonBinder Vision Institute in San Diego, reports a surge in both the quantity of calls to the practice and the quality of patients inquiring about CustomCornea. “We've seen a fairly substantial increase in call volume into the practice since launching our ‘Hi-Definition Vision campaigns,' ” she said, adding that her CustomCornea special events have been well attended by the public.

“The results to our advertising have not been overwhelming in sheer numbers, but we are pleased with the current level of activity and the quality of patients we've generated since our launch in January 2003,” Ms. Haskell added. “We've also received a very positive response from our local media regarding CustomCornea, which is something we haven't seen since launching our IntraLASIK campaign in June 2002.”

POSITIVE PRESS
During my recent visit to San Diego, NBC filmed a live CustomCornea procedure and broadcast a very positive report on their evening news program. “Our plan is to continue a constant stream of information to the media and a consistent advertising message to the public focused on ‘Hi-Definition Vision' and the benefits of our new CustomCornea procedure,” Ms. Haskell commented.

In New Orleans, the first CustomCornea campaign was launched 2 to 3 weeks after the GordonBinder premiere in San Diego, so there are even less marketing data to evaluate. However, David Willis, administrator for Brint Custom Vision in New Orleans, said everyone in the practice is very excited by the advent of the technology. “The patients are absolutely thrilled with their results with CustomCornea,” he said. “Dr. [Stephen] Brint is extremely excited with his results to date and the potential this represents for the industry in the future.”

Positive media coverage in New Orleans includes CNN's recently airing a national news story on Dr. Brint's performing the first CustomCornea procedure in the US. “Our initial advertising campaigns have been educational in nature, focusing on Dr. Brint, the LADARWave technology, our results, and the fact that we're one of the first places in the country to offer patients ‘Hi-Definition Vision,' ” Mr. Willis said. “Since our initial campaign, the message has gotten progressively stronger each week, which is resulting in a higher number of inquiries. We're not fully satisfied with our response, so we've broadened our media mix to extend our message to more listeners and viewers in the greater New Orleans area. This appears to be working well.”

Mr. Willis points out that patient conversion from traditional LASIK to CustomCornea has not been a problem, even though they are charging a premium for CustomCornea.

“Once patients understand the true benefit of CustomCornea, the price barrier no longer seems to be an issue,” he said. “Our goal with our current advertising message is therefore to generate additional office visits and give us the opportunity to introduce the difference between the two procedures. Obviously, your staff needs to be well-trained and versed on the benefits of CustomCornea.”

Willis said he believes the mild-to-moderate response to date from patients in the New Orleans area is due to several factors. “There has been so much LASIK marketing and discounting efforts in the past that patients may still be a little reluctant to believe in our new technology,” he said. “It's up to us to further educate patients and help them understand that CustomCornea really is the next-generation LASIK procedure … the procedure they've all been waiting for.”

IS THIS THE SHOT IN THE ARM?
Will the lure of “Hi-Definition Vision” jump-start the LASIK industry back to life? Only time will tell, but favorable momentum is building. The media coverage is positive, patients are extremely happy, and the results are extremely positive. All of these indicators are indeed good signs for the future of our industry. Stay tuned for updates on CustomCornea marketing results.

Michael W. Malley's monthly column offers perspectives on effective marketing strategies for refractive surgery practices. Mr. Malley is founder of The Centre for Refractive Marketing in Houston, and he does not hold a financial interest in any laser manufacturer. He may be reached at (713) 839-0202; mike@refractivemarketing.com.
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