Think About Your Eyes’ data shows eye care message received

More eyes than ever could see a Think About Your Eyes ad with the latest campaign spooling up amid impressive 2018 data just announced at Optometry's Meeting^®.

Think About Your Eyes, in partnership with the AOA, continues to create awareness and change public behavior around eye and vision care. The campaign's singular message—encouraging patients to get an annual eye exam—is getting through to Americans, encouraging patient action and demonstrating how a comprehensive eye exam can improve quality of life through vision correction and early detection of more than 270 diseases.

"Think About Your Eyes is the campaign that is promoting the profession of optometry and the importance of an annual eye exam," announced Rick Weisbarth, O.D., 2019 Think About Your Eyes advisory board chair and Alcon's vice president of professional affairs, in a report to the AOA House of Delegates during Optometry's Meeting.

This year, Think About Your Eyes reached out to target demographics on TV, radio, online video, digital advertising and partnerships with key social influencers. From an Instagram partnership with actress Gwyneth Paltrow to placing ads on streaming platforms such as Hulu, Think About Your Eyes is continuously evolving strategies to meet patients where they get their information.

So, too, the campaign's messaging is expected to reach more than 1 billion people this year, and new research shows Think About Your Eyes' messaging is working. Together with an all-time high in campaign awareness came significant figures: Not only did nearly two-thirds of adults who saw Think About Your Eyes ads schedule an eye exam for themselves or a family member between January 2018 and March 2019, but also the number of adults getting an annual eye exam increased by 4.4% between May 2018 and April 2019.

In addition to educating the public, Think About Your Eyes generated nearly 4 million incremental eye exams in 2018 alone. Moreover, Dr. Weisbarth noted how the campaign is promoting routine care of chronic diseases, including:

• 290,278 cases of cataract (210,973 new diagnoses)
• 77,582 cases of glaucoma (65,120 new diagnoses)
• 74,257 cases of dry age-related macular degeneration (75,469 new diagnoses)
• 65,281 cases of background diabetic retinopathy (57,902 new diagnoses)
• 35,593 cases of wet age-related macular degeneration (23,162 new diagnoses)
• 7,966 new diagnoses of diabetes

And, in August, the campaign hits the road to celebrate summer vacation and remind parents of the importance of back-to-school eye exams. Partnering with the travel company Airstream, Think About Your Eyes will send a YouTube influencer family on a road trip across the Western U.S. Building on the theme, "Seeing is a Gift," Think About Your Eyes and Airstream will chronicle The Daily Bumps' (aka, the Lanning family) sight-seeing road trip and stress the importance of healthy vision, the need for UV protection, the importance of outdoor time in hedging children's myopia risk, and the overall importance of getting an annual eye exam.

"Think About Your Eyes is already looking ahead to next year," Dr. Weisbarth notes. He mentioned the campaign is reviewing new marketing agencies, funding models focused on transparency and value, and new partnerships for 2020 and beyond.

Sign up for the doctor locator

The AOA, 46 affiliates and thousands of individual doctors of optometry are working together to amplify this unique campaign and ensure maximum exposure to the public. Think About Your Eyes is already among the most impactful campaigns in the history of Americans' eye care, driving more than 2.3 million visits to the campaign website in 2018, alone. Importantly, many of those consumers are seeking the care that doctors of optometry provide and Think About Your Eyes can help make that connection.

Here's how doctors of optometry can list their practice on Think About Your Eyes' doctor locator:

• Go to thinkaboutyoureyes.com
• Enter your AOA member ID
• Choose either a basic or premium listing to customize your visibility
• Once enrolled, leverage marketing materials and track public searches for your practice

Read more about Think About Your Eyes' successful 2018 campaign with celebrity boxer and lifestyle expert Laila Ali.