Think About Your Eyes delivers results, enters largest year ever

Better, stronger, faster—the 2017 Think About Your Eyes campaign leaves "The Six Million Dollar Man" in its shadow, with increased AOA and industry support that will deliver a dramatic increase in public awareness for eye and vision health and optometry, ultimately driving an estimated 1.4 million additional eye exams.

Americans value their eye health, ranking it equally important as the health of their heart and much more important than teeth or mental health concerns. According to the 2016 American Eye Q ^® survey, many of those Americans know that their eye health is important and believe it is vital to schedule a regular appointment with their eye doctor, but until recently, such views haven't inspired patients to take action to get to their doctor of optometry's office for a regular eye examination.

The multi-million-dollar national advertising campaign, Think About Your Eyes, is the answer.  

"As doctors, we know that patients need to think about their eyes, and that is what the Think About Your Eyes campaign is all about," AOA President Andrea P. Thau, O.D., told hundreds of affiliate leadership and staff gathered for the 2017 Presidents' Council in St. Louis, Missouri, January 13-14. "The program is working, but we know that we can always do better and this year, we will."  

Think About Your Eyes is brought to patients by the AOA and delivers optometry's exclusive message, encouraging patients to get a regular, in-person, comprehensive eye exam. Launched in 2013, the campaign has grown eye examinations faster than ever, with nearly 828,500 additional exams single-handedly attributable to the campaign in 2015 alone.  

Those incremental exams resulted in patients who are dedicated to their eye health, who invest more in their eye care and see their doctors of optometry more often; the timespan between eye exams has shortened from 29 months to 16 months.  

'Biggest year yet'

This staggering success is a testament to a campaign that resonates with Americans—and motivates patients toward timely, regular eye care—and as such, has garnered increased support in the new year from industry, the Vision Council, and now, the AOA. In her announcement, Dr. Thau said 2017 will be the campaign's "biggest year yet," reaching more Americans than ever.  

Increased investment from Think About Your Eyes' partners will expand the campaign budget by more than 60%, in turn, meaning a more visible initiative: 

• TV ads will start airing on February 13 and will increase by 170%, from 11 to 16 weeks, delivering more than 1 billion impressions
• Ads will run consistently from February through September
• The campaign will use new, creative messages to inspire action and test the use of "doctor of optometry" in advertisements

So, too, in addition to AOA's contribution, 37 state affiliates and the Armed Forces Optometric Society are now committed states in the campaign, bringing some 16,000 AOA members into fold at the leadership level. Currently, AOA members make up 83% of the doctor-locator search function on thinkaboutyoureyes.com, and 99% of listed practitioners are doctors of optometry.

"Together, we can truly make this initiative better and further improve patient eye and vision health," Dr. Thau said. "Our next challenge in furthering this important initiative and our message is to get all 50 states on board with Think About Your Eyes, and I know we can do this together."  

Visit  thinkaboutyoureyes.com/partner-resources for useful partner resources and information for doctors of optometry.

Read what a pair of doctors in Los Angeles and Michigan have to say about participating in the Think About Your Eyes campaign.