Healthy InSights®
Holiday Wrap-Up

With the winter holidays right around the corner, Transitions Optical, Inc. looks back at 2007 as a year of successful consumer initiatives, innovative practitioner tools and exciting promotions that helped spread the healthy sight message across our communities. In this issue of Healthy InSights, we'll look at some of our year-end successes, and share some tips on how you can improve your business with Transitions® lenses.

The "Spin & Win" Sweepstakes was a huge success in 2007 - aside from supporting Prevent Blindness America and the Transitions Certificate of Authenticity, participating eyecare professionals and consumers had a chance to win great prizes! We'll share all the details.

Right in time for the New Year, we'll also tell you about the latest resources available from the Transitions® Healthy Sight for Life Fund to help your patients learn about the importance of thorough eye care and protective eyewear. Read on for recent research showing the dire need to educate patients about UV protection for the eyes.

In 2007, Transitions received national recognition for its achievements in Hispanic marketing. You'll hear about how we recently educated thousands of Hispanics in a local community about the importance of healthy sight options, and how you can better communicate with your own Hispanic patients.

Finally, we'll share some exciting news from OLA, where Transitions and its partners received several top honors!

As always, thank you for reading. If there is something you'd like to read more about, e-mail us at healthyinsights@transitions.com.


"Spin & Win" Sweepstakes Success in 2007

Thousands Register Transitions® Lenses for Shot at Grand Prize

In 2007 more than 9,000 eyecare professional locations and 150,000 consumers registered their Transitions lenses with the Certificate of Authenticity for a chance to win great prizes through the "Spin & Win" Sweepstakes.

Participants had to register their lenses online or via mail and complete a short satisfaction survey between March 1 and October 31. Each participant then got to "spin" a wheel for a chance to win instant prizes and be entered into a grand prize drawing for one of the following theme packages: home entertainment, game room, outdoors, photography, technology or a Walt Disney World vacation package.

Every time an eyecare professional or customer registered for the promotion, Transitions also made a donation to its official 2007 national charity partner - Prevent Blindness America - through the Transitions® Healthy Sight for Life Fund.

All prizes awarded to consumers were also awarded to the participating eyecare professional who dispensed the lenses. Grand-prize winners to-date include: Doug Bender from Clayton, Wash., and Lacey Boggan, an eyecare professional at Teigen and Gray of Spokane, Wash. Boggan is splitting her prize with her staff and fellow eyecare professionals.

Congratulations to all the winners, and stay tuned to find out the final grand prize winners of the "Spin & Win" Sweepstakes!

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Transitions® Healthy Sight for Life Fund Video

Now Available on Web Site

Taking advantage of tools available from the Transitions Healthy Sight for Life Fund just became easier. Now you can log onto the Fund's Web site to download a copy of an educational video. Available in English, Spanish and French Canadian, the video addresses the importance of healthy sight throughout life, and encourages consumers to seek out information on the ways in which they can protect and optimize their vision for the future.

You can also request complimentary copies of the DVD to play in your waiting room, or even during community or educational events. Simply log on to www.HealthySightforLife.org to download or request a copy of the video, and also to learn more about the Fund. For a flyer on more ways to become involved, you can e-mail us at HealthySightFund@Transitions.com.

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Survey Reveals "Blind Spot" for Eye Health

More than Half of Americans Fail to Protect Eyes From UV

With the New Year just around the corner, it's a great time to encourage patients to adopt healthy sight habits, especially with a recent study confirming that Americans are largely unaware of damaging effects that ultraviolet (UV) rays can have on their eyes.

The July 2007 survey conducted by the New England Eye Institute and Transitions Optical revealed that:

  • More than half (57 percent) of respondents say they do not wear protective eyewear when in the sun for extended periods of time.
  • Forty-four percent do not have daily eyewear with UV protection.
  • Nearly half of young adult respondents (age 18-24) say they do not agree that UV protection is important at all.

The president of the New England Eye Institute, Barry Barresi, O.D., Ph.D., noted that this lack of awareness for the need to protect the eyes from UV damage will continuously contribute to the rising number of debilitating eye-related problems worldwide. For example, the World Health Organization reports that approximately 3.2 million people worldwide are blind as a result of cataracts, which have been linked to UV exposure.

As you know, getting annual eye exams and choosing premium lens options that block UV rays and minimize glare - such as photochromic Transitions® lenses - can reduce eye discomfort and help lower the risk of developing cataracts or other long-term diseases of the eye. We hope you will help support Transitions' consumer outreach campaign by talking to your patients about the need for UV and glare protection!

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Transitions Reaches Hispanics During Miami Health Fair

Attendees Receive Free Vision Screenings, Professional Advice

Throughout 2007 the Transitions Optical team continued to step up its outreach program to Hispanic consumers - who have a higher risk of developing certain eye-related diseases, including those linked to diabetes. On Nov. 10 in Miami, Transitions teamed up with Broward Community College Vision Care Program and Miami Dade College Opticianry Program to offer eye health education to thousands of Hispanic members of the community at the Feria de Salud por tu familia health fair event. Presented by the American Diabetes Association, the outdoor event was aimed at informing Hispanics that they may be susceptible to diabetes.

Attendees who visited the Transitions-sponsored booth received complimentary vision screenings from student volunteers, bilingual education on the importance of regular eye exams and UV protection, and eye health advice from on-site optometrists.

In recognition of Hispanic outreach efforts like this one, Transitions was recognized with a 2007 Diamond Award by the East Central District of the Public Relations Society of America for a first place campaign in the category of multicultural communications.

For more information about Transitions' Hispanic education initiatives, visit www.Transitions.com. To learn about tools Transitions offers to help you reach out to your Spanish-speaking patients, check out the Transitions Online Marketing (TOM) Tool at www.TransitionsTOM.com.

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Transitions Wins Director's Choice Award at OLA

Lens Partners Recognized for Support

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by the Transitions booth at OLA. Attendees learned about the latest resources available to help them and their customers grow their businesses with Transitions® lenses.

In recognition of the continuous efforts of Transitions Optical to increase awareness of the need for healthy sight resources, Transitions was awarded the OLA Director's Choice Award during the 2007 OLA President's Banquet. The award honors individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the ophthalmic industry, according to the OLA Board of Directors. Once again, the Transitions team would like to thank our lens manufacturing partners for their support. It is with their help that Transitions is able to offer resources such as the Certificate of Authenticity program - which has resulted in over 270,000 consumer registrations - and Transitions Academy, which is now in its 12th year and draws more than 1,000 industry professionals.

Transitions also congratulates lens partner Younger Optics, who won the "Best in Lens Materials" Award of Excellence for Drivewear® Activated by Transitions™ - the first polarized, photochromic lenses to darken behind the windshield of a car. Younger also went home with the "Best in Marketing" Award of Excellence for The Art & Science of Drivewear Activated by Transitions.

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