In April , eight CET sessions were run on our stand at Optrafair and building on the interest shown , a full CET programme was delivered at 100 % Optical in February . A total of 1,130 interactive CET points were earned by hundreds of delegates over the course of the weekend . A similar programme will run at Optrafair 2017 .
Our store window takeovers help to increase awareness of the various services and the value we offer . In the UK , we ran campaigns in the national press to help customers understand the great value offered to our hearing care customers by comparing , like-for-like , our prices with those of a key competitor .
In October 2015 , we embarked on the largest postgraduate accreditation drive ever attempted in the UK , and by the following September more than 2,000 optometrists had been supported to complete the Level 1 and 2 minor eye conditions accreditation with WOPEC ( Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre ). We also focused on developing our professional staff in the detection and management of glaucoma – the world ’ s leading cause of irreversible blindness . In the space of five months , more than 1,900 Specsavers optometrists had completed the Level 1 glaucoma accreditation and were moving on to study for Level 2 .
Despite an increasingly competitive employment market , 2016 / 17 was our most successful year for partner recruitment in the UK and as performance across our markets broke all records , we introduced more new Joint Venture Partners to the business than ever before . We also recruited more than 550 experienced optometrists to our UK stores .
Reaching more customers
One of the ways we help stores to reach more people is through impactful marketing campaigns aimed at grabbing the attention of the public .
Our sports sponsorships , such as the partnership between Specsavers and New Zealand Rugby , ensure that referees and players alike get their eyes checked before tournaments , as well as ensuring our branding is centre stage on sponsored kit and pitch signage .
Raising public awareness of the level of care that high street optometrists can provide was another priority . Campaigns in the UK informed people they could visit an eye health clinic at their local Specsavers store if their eyes were ‘ not feeling quite right ’. In August , Specsavers announced a partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People , aimed at supporting its vital work . It included a £ 3 million investment in a multi-media campaign to educate people about eye health . In February , Specsavers and the International Glaucoma Association joined up in a million-pound health information campaign to raise awareness of glaucoma and encourage people to have regular eye examinations .
A suite of Specsavers ‘ how to ’ videos have been launched on YouTube , addressing the most common questions consumers have about their hearing aids and contact lenses and helping customers master the basics after they have left our stores . We also launched a campaign in Australia to encourage parents to book their children in for an eye test as part of their back-toschool routine , following research showing that one in three children in Australia has never had an eye test .
Northern Europe Green Club webinars : Retinal detachment and associated symptoms
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Good presentation of a topic you need to think about every day .
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Optometrist at Synoptik , Sweden
Should ’ ve gone to … moments come in all shapes and sizes , and with our award-winning in-house Creative agency , we can be pretty quick off the mark when the opportunity arises , as it did at the 89th Academy Awards . In lightning-quick time , we had responded to the mis-announcement of a category winner with an ad on Twitter , Facebook , various news media globally , and digital screens in most major UK train stations .
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Specsavers has a truly outstanding brand , clearly differentiated from the rest and highly trusted .
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Mintel ’ s Optical Goods Retailing report , February 2017 , commenting on the strength of Specsavers