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At Hoya, the focus is on technology. “We want our customers and our company to be on the forefront of the digital trend,” said Warren Modlin, vice president, technical marketing. This is evident in the type of education Hoya offers its customers. “Beyond the traditional lens topics that you’d expect—the features, the technical elements—we’re educating our customers on using technology in order to support the ECP-patient experience.”





Digitally assisted fitting is one example. “Eye-care professionals aren’t optimizing their patient interactions,” Modlin continued. “The in-office routine of ‘which is better, one or two?’ isn’t performing as the ECP would hope because they’re not employing the latest digital technology to help them fit lenses. We’re placing a lot of emphasis on optimizing lens performance through digitally assisted fitting. This benefits our customers because non-adaptation is reduced due to more specific fitting.” Hoya sales representatives offer ECPs acquisition and implementation support of Spectangle Pro digital fitting.

The company is also focusing on educating opticians and practice staff. “COVID has led to fewer staff members and a lot of turnover in optical practices, creating inexperienced opticians and staff. We are seeing a number of requests for basic education,” Modlin added.

“We’re about to launch a new single-vision lens called MySV and we’re supporting that launch with an ABO course. We will have an interactive course available to all Hoya accounts through the Hoya learning center (HLC). The HLC can be accessed through the Hoya Hub. For non-Hoya accounts, the course will be in article form on 20/20mag.com. Our customers appreciate this because their staff is so starved for good information,” he said.

Another way Hoya has responded to customers’ needs during the pandemic is through its Visionary Alliance which launched in June 2021. Through this program, the company’s most loyal customers get access to benefits such as VIP events and exclusive education opportunities with industry thought leaders.

Customers earn loyalty points by using Hoya’s premium products and they can use those points to unlock additional benefits and services. ECPs can learn more and enroll at https://visionaryalliance.com/. “We’ve always considered ourselves to be an ally of the independent and Visionary Alliance is one way we are providing learning opportunities for them and for their staff,” Modlin said.

For the future, Hoya will focus on three main areas to help eyecare professionals remain competitive—digital technology, specialization and consulting. “We know it’s hard for ECPs to get out of the office today because staff is so limited,” Modlin pointed out. “That’s why we’re tapping into digital learning methods including virtual conferences, podcasts and remote media that give our customers access to learning on their own time.”

The role of Hoya’s sales representatives and how they work with customers will also evolve. “Currently, our sales reps call on customers mainly to provide product information. In the future, their role will expand so they can be more like consultants and can share market trends, offering a competitive perspective, and discussing how the industry is changing and how we can support them doing that.”