Independents dial marketing hotline

The dedicated marketing support group, Independent Marketing Partnership, has been 'inundated' with calls following our exclusive story of its promotional offer to independent practitioners (News, November 4).

Under the offer, independents can obtain six months' free membership entitling them to public relations help as part of a 100,000 marketing support initiative sponsored by Bausch & Lomb and the Norville Group, if they sign up by November 30.

'Following your news item I received around 70 calls asking for further details,' said Independent Marketing Partnership managing director Graham Hutchison. 'We have had a steady stream of around 10 calls a day and received 41 application forms over a three-day period. We need to keep this momentum going.'

As part of its provisions, Independent Marketing Partnership has produced a 28-page guide showing practitioners how to generate free publicity via their local media. The guide is available free from the company website and provides practical advice on getting editorial coverage on newsworthy optical subjects.

'If done properly, a local public relations campaign offers independent practices a way of raising their profile among existing and potential patients at virtually no cost. Local press advertising is expensive and often doesn't work,' said Hutchison.

Simon Mills, managing director of Eyeplan, the Denplan-styled company for optics, said: 'Independents must help themselves by utilising effective marketing strategies such as those offered by Norville, B&L and Insight Marketing.'