GVFL: 1 million appointments booked

By Trinity Scarf
National Campaigns Manager

 

More than one million Australians have booked optometry appointments as a result of the Good vision for life campaign, a consumer survey reveals.

The survey was conducted among Australians aged 18 years and older by leading social researcher I-View on behalf of Optometry Australia.

The results highlight that nine million Australians have booked an appointment with an optometrist in the 12 months to June 2017. Of these appointments, 1.07 million or 11.6 per cent were influenced by the Good vision for life campaign.

The survey also reveals that since the campaign launched in September 2016, 3.15 million Australians have become aware of the campaign and critically of these, 34.2 per cent (1.07 million) booked an eye examination.

When consumers were asked to nominate who they would see first, a doctor, an optometrist, a pharmacist, an ophthalmologist or a hospital, the survey revealed:

• a 26.85 per cent increase in the number of Australians who now say that they would see an optometrist for excessive watering, redness, pain or discharge associated with their eyes compared to the year before
• a 7.34 per cent increase in the number of Australians who now say that they would see an optometrist for loss of vision, sensitivity to light, blurriness and double vision.

The survey highlights the success of the campaign and its ability to deliver eye health messages that consumers not only understand but react to positively.

On average, Good vision for life campaign messaging has reached 2.9 million people per month since September 2016 through television, radio and digital channels and more recently, through cinema advertising.

Planning is now well advanced to continue the campaign in 2017-2018 with activity due to resume in late August. We are looking at continuing digital and radio activity, and after we receive the results of the cinema trial, we will analyse these to determine whether we continue using that channel.

Media coverage

In the 2016-2017 financial year, there was also a noticeable shift in media coverage with eye health angles now making up 89 per cent of all editorial generated by Optometry Australia compared to 82 per cent the year before.

Topics such as children’s eye health, UV protection and women’s and men’s eye health proved to be popular. Of the 297 articles delivered, 43 per cent were published online, 27 per cent via radio, 25 per cent in print and 14 per cent via television coverage.

Campaign Impact report 

Campaign Digital impressions report 

Campaign Reach report