Here are 10 delicious tips for reaching advertising + marketing success, from 2 top-shelf ECPs who have already mastered the mix

add one part advertising to two parts marketing. Mix generously and spread.

While this concoction may sound simple, most ECPs know a lot about eye care but not so much about folding marketing and advertising into the mix.

To help, we invited two ECPs with top-shelf marketing know-how to share 10 of the most critical ingredients in their recipes for success.

Our experts are:

Brad Childs, regional vice president of Eyetique, with 12 high-end Eyetique locations and three value-focused 3 Guys Opticals, all in the Pittsburgh area. Here, he shares some of his strategies, as well as the differences in messaging between high-end and value businesses.

Sheena Taff, optician, joined the family business, Roberts & Brown in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, seven years ago, where she applied her passion for fashion and design. Now also a Transitions ambassador, Taff talks with EB about her particular strategies for marketing and advertising.

TARGET MESSAGING.

1 “Eyetique’s advertising is image-based with a targeted approach. We want to know exactly what house it’s going to, their income, how they spend their money. 3 Guys is a shotgun approach where the message is value.” —Childs

GET THE RIGHT MEDIA BUY.

2 “For Eyetique, we run in local glossy publications that reach the higher-end demographic. For 3 Guys, we’re in local city papers—the kind in coffee shops that reach a broader base.” —Childs

USE “ME” MARKETING.

3 “The smartest thing I ever did to get our message out is to put myself out there. Community involvement is a great way to share a little bit about yourself. As an independent business, creating a style and identity is crucial to setting yourself apart.” —Taff

DO AFTER-HOURS.

4 “Look beyond 9-to-5. I have a yearly sunglass marketing event in the spring. After store hours, I create what feels more like a social event, serving wine and cheese and displaying product in an interactive way to encourage people to ‘play.’” —Taff

PUT ON A SHOW.

5 “Live events are an absolute must. We try to do one in every store every month. They’re primarily frame trunk shows.” —Childs

HOLD A MINI-SEMINAR.

6 “Consider digital eye strain or blue light education in mini-seminars. These events are added value for current and potential patients, and show you are invested in their overall health. Need help? Work with your lens suppliers on the presentations.” —Taff

DEFINE GENERATIONS.

7 “We definitely market differently to different generations. It’s imperative. Students, for example, are going for labels, and you have to produce value in messaging to them.” —Childs

TELL YOUR STORY VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

8 “The biggest marketing change I implemented was recreating our online presence. My goal? A cohesive online identity that matched our vibe and mission statement over multiple social sites and through a website I could update regularly.” —Taff

POST WITH PURPOSE.

9 “Create a [social media] calendar, and three to four different themes you can repeat. Then once a week, on Fashion Fridays, for example, you can share a new fashionable frame.” —Taff

DEFINE THE BOTTOM LINE.

10 “You need to understand what it costs to keep a patient you already have versus what your new patient acquisition costs are. That becomes a good foundation for determining where to put your resources.” —Childs

—Stephanie K. De Long