21 What was once considered a petty self-indulgence is now viewed as a powerful marketing tool. On Selfie Day, draw up a strategy to get your customers to take photos of themselves in their new frames or to snap themselves in front of the witty sandwich board outside your optical and post the images on their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages tagging you.
1 The first evidence of cataract surgery dates back to the 5th century BC. (It was a brutal procedure involving the eye being struck with sufficient force to dislocate the lens!) Now cataract surgery is the most commonly performed operation in America. And yet we still need to remind patients of the importance of early detection and treatment if they hope to preserve their sight. During CATARACT AWARENESS MONTH, get busy. Direct patients to the materials at yoursightmatters.com, contact local media, and fill your social feeds with reminders.
17 Mark the 45th anniversary of the WATERGATE arrests by doing something conspiratorial-feeling but useful: Shred those boxes of unnecessary financial papers piled up in your filing cabinet or study. Do it in the evening, under the light of one bulb. Very G. Gordon Liddy. (Just check with your CPA first about what you can destroy.)
18 There was a time when dads asked for a little peace and quiet and maybe some socks on FATHER’S DAY — and their children were happy to oblige … with the socks at least. No more. Dad’s Day is catching up to Mother’s Day as a retail event (with an average spend of $170 versus $125 on Dad). As always, the gift-giving theme remains “personal but practical”— like a pair of high-end sports sunglasses.
20 If you can remember the Summer of Love … well, we hate to make a point of it, but you must be in your 60s now. Our point is, time has passed, but the mythology still burns, which makes it great inspiration for a summer party. Maybe a trunk show with a vintage feel or a frame designer inspired by progressive issues. Tie the event in with a celebration of the 50th ANNIVERSARY of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND and take a new listen to “When I’m 64”.
21 It feels like the world has tilted. The days are longer, the air warmer, the sun’s rays more direct … Yes, SUMMER is here. Mark the first official day of the season with a sunglass sale. (Cash only, no insurance, all the better if you can set up a tent in the parking lot to take advantage of everyone’s excitement to do get outside and do “outdoorsy stuff”).
28 The LGBT community gets more influential and accessible by the day. If you live in Chicago, you may want to consider participating in that city’s Gay And Lesbian Pride Parade, the biggest in the country. If you live elsewhere, there are likely to be activities planned to celebrate LGBT PRIDE MONTH. Get involved.
More June Holidays/Events
June 1 National Iced Tea Month … Set out a jug and some glasses and invite clients to enjoy.
June 17 Eat Your Vegetables Day … “The 7 Best Veggies for Eye Health” sounds like a good blog post.
June 19 World Sauntering Day … Invite guests to revive this lost Victorian art. A free cookie to any customer carrying a parasol.
June 20 World Productivity Day … Try out a new app.
June 29 National Handshake Day … The goal? A firm, friendly, double pump that lasts no longer than three seconds.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAY OF THE MONTH
Happy 50th to Anderson Cooper
June 3, 1967 Just shy of his 43rd birthday, Anderson Cooper chose his first pair of prescription glasses on Live! With Regis And Kelly. Glasses have since become a part of the CNN anchor’s image, as he made clear when he dinged Wolf Blitzer for trying to appropriate his look. “I don’t want to accuse Wolf of going all Single White Female on me, but these glasses are my thing. No one, I mean no one, else has them, except, of course, Elvis Costello, Johnny Depp, and Snooki,” he said of the Moscot frames he favors.
This article originally appeared in the May 2017 edition of INVISION.