The Deafness and Hearing Aids blog reports that Amplifon, the world's largest hearing-aid retailer, has hired world-class advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi for a $14-million image makeover. Reselling hearing aids has long been a mom-and-pop-style business, with small dispensers and one-person audiology practices accounting for a huge percentage of global hearing-aid sales. Amplifon is one of several companies attempting to rationalize hearing-aid distribution, sales, and service by creating and acquiring chains of hearing centers throughout the world. Saatchi promotes its ability to turn brand names into "Lovemarks" that the consuming public cannot get enough of. The image makeover is timely and long-overdue, especially for Miracle Ear, one of Amplifon's best-known brands, which has hearing centers in hundreds of Sears stores in the U.S.
I know that among the Amplifon brands, Miracle Ear perhaps could use the most help. In the world's largest market, Miracle Ear may be well known but is not well-loved. Its hipness quotient is about as low as it can go, fed by a long history of unappetizing Sunday supplement-style advertising of the sort aimed at old geezers losing their hearing, eyesight, virility and other bodily functions all at once. The major manufacturers, especially Phonak, have recently upped the ante on their advertising and promotion. It will be fun to watch Amplifon join the fray.
Posted by David at 01:32 PM on Aug 31, 2007 in INDUSTRY NEWS
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I know that companies feel good about boosting product image. I feel that people need to be informed and justifed why they should respond not falling in love with certin brands. although it sounds good, there is not enough data to support such extensive campaining in brand marketing with exact hearing devices
