Launching Clinically Proven Migraine Lenses In Canada

Avulux, a company founded by McGill University alumnus Dr. Charles Posternack, offers the only clinically proven lenses for migraine and light sensitivity. After years of scientific research and testing, the company was ready to launch in Canada. But it faced some big obstacles: no brand recognition, and a market in which migraine glasses were not well-known or commonly used.

Our Engagement

The Challenge

Avulux engaged Anamorphiq to develop and execute a PR campaign to introduce this innovative new lens to Canadians. Recognizing that the pool of health journalists in Canada is small and earned media coverage opportunities are limited, we knew Avulux needed a strategy that would include highly targeted, strategic sponsored content opportunities, alongside other PR and marketing tactics. And it needed to be executed in a short timeline with the tight budget of a start-up organization.

The Objective

Establish credibility for the category of migraine and light sensitivity lenses, overcoming skepticism and misunderstanding Build awareness of Avulux lenses as an important part of a migraine and light sensitivity toolkit

The Approach

Our recommended strategy leveraged Avulux digital channels and assets and was designed to increase the reach of organic content, establish authority through influencers and drive qualified leads. It included advertising and landing pages, as well as earned media opportunities generated via a widely distributed news release and targeted pitching.

A key element of the approach was paid media, also known as sponsored content. When we consider sponsored content, it is always within the context of a broader, integrated strategic plan that may also include earned media, digital marketing and social media. We also take the approach that not every opportunity is beneficial to a client’s goals, and we provide a careful, strategic assessment – which sometimes means saying no to opportunities, even if they look good at first glance. That was the case with Avulux.

We established parameters to ensure we could review and assess every opportunity through a strategic lens, which resulted in turning down opportunities that did not meet the bar for anticipated return-on-investment. We zeroed in on highly targeted opportunities that would drive the client’s messages forward to the right audiences – in a short period of time.

The Results

Our highly targeted, integrated approach resulted in a launch that exceeded the client’s expectations. Rather than scatter the budget across multiple small, low-impact opportunities, we made the recommendation to focus on one key outlet that had good brand recognition, a trusted name, and opportunity for amplification – Reader’s Digest/Best Health. This provided an opportunity for Avulux to submit a consumer-friendly story about migraine lenses and how they work – written by our team – to directly reach a consumer audience with an interest in health issues.

The article ran on the Best Health website, which has an average reach of 191,000 unique visitors per month, and we recommended additional amplification with inclusion in the Best Health newsletter and social media channels. And, because the content we wrote was compelling and accessible for readers, Avulux was later able to repurpose portions of it for other requirements.

In combination with our earned media outreach and digital marketing support, this strategic approach to sponsored content planning and development resulted in a strong start for Avulux in Canada, with in-bound sales and partnership queries that have since helped to form the foundation of their business in this market.

Tagged Branded Content, Earned Media