CONTACTS IN FOCUS

Natural Beauty

Color-enhancing contacts are grabbing market share. Here’s how you, too, can build business in that category

it’s a new day in contact lenses. According to GfK Optics North America, the smaller specialty categories are small no more. In fact, daily disposable multifocal and torics, plus colored and iris-enhanced lenses, all formerly considered niche products, have captured 10% of contact lens dollars in less than two years.

Here we look at just one of the hot areas—known as color-enhancing or iris-enhanced lenses—to see how you, too, can grab a share of the growth. To find out, we spoke to two optometrists who have developed strong followings in the color category.

Patient Base

Christine Blick, O.D., of Envision Eyecare in Celebration, FL, was an optician for 20 years before attending optometry school. She says the last thing she wanted was a cookie-cutter practice or products. “My patients love contacts. They like options and mixing things up a bit, so cosmetic and eye-enhancing lenses speak to that. Some patients like bold, and others like understated.”

1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE’s Natural Shimmer

AIR OPTIX COLORS take to the runway

As for Kelli Conesa, O.D., color-enhancing lenses are a perfect fit for her patients at Chrycy Eye in Miami, a group that specializes in contacts. “The majority are young professionals who are always a step ahead of the game,” she explains. That being said, she adds, “The benefit of an enhancing lens is that the patient notices a subtle change without actually changing their eye color. The key is to find out the patient’s expectations.”

Kelli Conesa, O.D., at Chrycy Eye Group

Target Market

Who is the target market for color-enhancing and color lenses? “Current contact lens wearers are a natural,” says Dr. Blick. “Just as contact lens wearers come in all shapes and sizes, the desire to change or enhance eyes comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be the new mom who wants her eyes to ‘pop’ and look more awake, the executive who wants to hold eye contact during a meeting, or the fashion-forward consumer looking to totally change a look or match an outfit. The possibilities are endless.”

Dr. Conesa adds, “My target market is the female population. Many of our female patients have responded well to 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE Brand Contact Lenses because they enhance the patient’s natural beauty without completely changing their look. The patients immediately notice a subtle difference and comment how their eyes look bigger and brighter.”

Getting the Word Out

To help promote the products, Dr. Blick says, “we have literature throughout the office, and our staff wears cosmetic and eye-enhancing lenses, which generates conversation. Staff mentions it during testing, and I follow up during the exam. We also use the office Facebook page.”

Christine Blick, O.D., of Envision Eyecare

Adds Dr. Conesa, “Our patients love to try the newest technology. As soon as they see an advertisement for a cosmetic or enhancing lens, they want to try it. We have definitely seen an influx of patients interested in trying new lenses to enhance their natural beauty.”

The Benefits

Patient satisfaction is the biggest benefit, say both O.D.s. “I love seeing a patient’s reaction,” says Dr. Conesa. “It is fun because it gets the patient to really interact with staff. They start asking for opinions on which color looks best or more natural, and they leave satisfied and confident.”

Dr. Blick explains, “The new modalities and categories of cosmetic and enhancing contact lenses have increased the revenue per patient and elevated the ‘happy chatter’ where patients brag about their new contacts. It adds a WOW factor for them.”

—Stephanie K. De Long