STAAR Surgical Launches Enhanced Consumer Awareness Initiatives for Visian® ICL

MONROVIA, Calif., June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable lenses for the eye, today announced the launch of enhanced global consumer awareness initiatives for the Visian® ICL product line. The initiatives include a redesigned consumer-friendly web site, increased support for practices and distributors for their own Visian ICL awareness campaigns and added consumer marketing in Asia.

"The Visian ICL has proven to be a very effective alternative to Lasik, and these new programs are designed to educate consumers about the product line's many benefits," said Robin Hughes, Vice President of Global Marketing for STAAR Surgical. "We already know from our work in search engine marketing that consumers are currently coming to us looking for alternatives, and we now have better resources to answer their questions and get them to the best local physicians who can help them. And, we are expanding this program globally."

The redesigned web site will launch tomorrow, June 28, 2012 at www.visianinfo.com and will provide an easier-to-use design including new product pages that educate patients on the Visian ICL option in a clear and comprehensive manner. In addition, www.visianinfo.com will offer:

• An enhanced surgeon locator, integrated with Google Maps gives consumers direct access to the surgeon who can best help them.
• A new blog will highlight particular patients and practices monthly. It will offer surgeon interviews as well as question and answer sessions with surgeons.
• New testimonial pages will be highlighted.
• A direct connection will exist with the company's Facebook, Twitter and YouTube presence.
• New refractive options charts will help consumers understand the various options available to correct vision.

Meanwhile STAAR Surgical will enhance its ability to support practices and distributors that are developing their own consumer awareness campaigns. This includes leadership from a new head of STAAR's global online marketing, as well as two new social media coordinators on the company's global team who bring expertise in public health marketing, social campaigns and digital video. Additional consumer marketing employees have been added in China, the Middle East and India with expertise in direct to consumer education programming that will support our distributors and their customers, and a new position will be added to execute social media work in Japan.  The Company continues to evaluate new consumer driven initiatives by testing new methods to create consumer demand for individual practices.

"One current example of how we're supporting practices is what we are doing for Dr. Dan Tran in Southern California," said Ryan Black, Online Marketing Manager for STAAR. "This campaign is geared toward a certain segment of his patient base with the use of billboards – a traditional marketing tool - supported by on-line efforts and banner ads. It includes continuous testing of display ad effectiveness on the Google Ad Network, and early indications are we are succeeding."

About STAAR Surgical

STAAR, which has been dedicated solely to ophthalmic surgery for over 25 years, designs, develops, manufactures and markets implantable lenses for the eye.  All of these lenses are foldable, which permits the surgeon to insert them through a small incision.  STAAR's lens used in refractive surgery as an alternative to LASIK is called an Implantable Collamer® Lens or "ICL."  A lens used to replace the natural lens after cataract surgery is called an intraocular lens or "IOL."  Over 300,000 Visian ICLs have been implanted to date; to learn more about the ICL go to: www.visianinfo.com.  STAAR has approximately 300 full time employees and markets lenses in approximately 50 countries.  Headquartered in Monrovia, CA, it manufactures in the following locations: Nidau, Switzerland; Ichikawa City, Japan; Aliso Viejo, CA; and Monrovia, CA.  For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.staar.com or call 626-303-7902. 

Collamer® is the registered trademark for STAAR's proprietary biocompatible collagen copolymer lens material. 

SOURCE STAAR Surgical Company

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