It has been a week when London Underground workers and a professional footballer have deemed it necessary to take their own versions of strike action over distinctly different conditions.
However, in the optical sector firms are more determined than ever to work together, with the link between independents and the supply chain growing from strength to strength.
In this week’s news, a tie-up between Acuvue Define and entertainment broadcaster E! was reported. Behind-the-scenes coverage of the London and New York Fashion Weeks will connect Acuvue with the beauty market it is targeting.
Marketing contact lenses to the general public is not a simple task and requires – excuse the jargon – some thinking outside the box. Being invisible, tiny and looking identical in appearance, contact lenses face a difficult task in standing out from the crowd.
While the arrival of coloured contact lenses and vacuum packed cases provide some extra talking points and visible differences, major brands know they must have an interesting story to tell potential wearers.
And perhaps there lies the key – identifying your target consumer and speaking to them directly.
This theory can also be applied to practitioners on the high street, and this week’s news also featured coverage from Independents Day 2015, when the benefit of committing too much time to GOS patients was questioned.
Knowing your patients has never been more important for independents – and all levels of the optical supply chain are facing a similar challenge.
It is therefore encouraging to receive news this week that 13 high profiles companies, including Rodenstock and Essilor, have been confirmed as sponsors for The Association for Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (AIO) conference in Nottingham this October.
Why not go along and share your story – provided the trains are running and you’re not feeling under the weather of course.
