(PRESS RELEASE) ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Vision Council shares details on the evolution of the organization’s consumer education campaign. In an effort to broaden the scope and reach of The Vision Council’s consumer education and awareness work, The Vision Council will phase out its Think About Your Eyes campaign in June 2021 and will officially launch the Vision Health Alliance. The updated consumer campaign will debut in August 2021.
A new program of the Better Vision Institute, the related educational foundation of The Vision Council, the Vision Health Alliance will serve as a multi-faceted consumer education initiative, featuring a new consumer education campaign and supported by strategic professional and industry partnerships and a robust digital marketing effort. The initiative will champion eye health as an important part of overall health and eye health exams as an essential component of healthcare; educate consumers about categories of industry products that are solutions to eye health, eyecare and lifestyle concerns; and position the vision care industry as part of the solution to healthcare access and equity.
“Consumer education and awareness and community-building are key pillars of The Vision Council’s strategic plan,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council. “This new campaign builds on the strength of our previous work with the industry and the profession and offers an opportunity for the entire vision care community to work together to position eye and vision health at the center of the healthcare conversation. Our collective impact will raise vision to the top of the consumer’s mind.”
“The pandemic seriously disrupted consumer attitudes and behavior around healthcare. Now, as we emerge from the pandemic, we realize we have a unique opportunity to capture the public’s renewed attention on health and wellness and position eye care and eye health as a critical part of overall health and wellness,” said Jane Balek, Executive Director of the Vision Health Alliance. “The Vision Health Alliance presents an opportunity to reimagine our efforts to reach consumers and educate them about the importance of eye health, vision protection, and comprehensive eye exams.”
Vision Health Alliance efforts will focus on increasing consumer awareness of the relationship between comprehensive eye exams and overall eye health and influencing comprehensive eye exams among those who never or rarely get them. In addition, messages will spotlight the categories of products and services in the vision industry that help people have the best quality of life possible.
Core consumer messages of the new campaign will include: eye health exams as an essential part of healthcare; how lives and livelihoods are improved by the products and services of the vision care industry; why improving access and equity to care and products is vital; and how the vision community can help address access and equity in healthcare through strategic partnerships and investment.
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Over the next few months, The Vision Council will examine consumer trends and gather new data with the help of a research partners mdg and VisionWatch and recruit new partners among like-minded organizations. The Vision Health Alliance’s designation as 501c(3) allows for multi-faceted opportunities for funding, stakeholder engagement and partnerships. Ahead of the initiative’s August 2021 launch, The Vision Council seeks to broaden support from the industry. Companies interested in joining the Vision Health Alliance as a founding partner should contact Jane Balek at jbalek@thevisioncouncil.org.
In addition to industry support, the Vision Health Alliance will continue its partnership efforts to spotlight the importance of eye healthcare and annual comprehensive eye exams with the American Optometric Association (AOA), the professional organization representing the nation’s doctors of optometry, paraoptometric professionals and future doctors. As the primary eye health and vision care providers in communities across the country, doctors of optometry are recognized for their essential and expanding role in health care and commitment to the delivery of personalized, family-focused care in support of overall health.
“We know that in order to accomplish real change, we need to have a multi-faceted approach that includes engaging more stakeholders within and beyond the vision community, strategic partnerships that allow us to leverage new channels to reach people, and an updated, consumer-facing awareness and education campaign – The Vision Health Alliance will serve as the vehicle that allows us to accomplish these goals,” said Balek.
