"Innovation Is A Way Of Life At Zeiss..”
Rohan Paul, Head Of Commercial ZEISS Vision Care - India shares insights on the upcoming edition of ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS and how it celebrates the excellence in Indian optical trade
ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS was the first of its kind initiative to recognise the efforts and acknowledge the achievements of the opticians — however big or small they may have been.
The purpose of an awards show is not just to win accolades and appreciation, but also to win customers, earn goodwill and use your marketing skills to leverage the visibility of your store. The ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS platform has been helping opticians achieve this for more than five years now.
VisionPlus (VP): The sixth edition of ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ Awards is on its way. How has this association been for ZEISS and your team?
Rohan Paul(RP): First, I would like to congratulate the entire team of FourPlus Media on their sixth edition of the ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS. We are happy to be associated with this event since its inception and we have had a wonderful experience with extremely positive responses from the optical fraternity.
This platform recognises excellence in different categories in the optical industry. As an organization that has a passion for excellence, this is a strong and meaningful association for us.
VP: In your view how has the optical community responded to this event so far?
RP: This has been a much-needed initiative and the enthusiasm from the optical fraternity is noteworthy. The year-on-year increase in participation corroborates this.
The best practices that have been awarded or recognized have been a source of learning for fellow opticians.
VP: There has been general feedback from the optical fraternity that it's the same key opticians who win
every year. How do you respond to this?
RP: Yes, this has been the feedback. As the optical industry continues to grow, so too should the participation and the winners. I think over the years the participation has increased and there have been new winners. For instance, the addition of three new categories this year would ensure that this continues to happen. Also, this keeps the awards more relevant in these fast-changing times.
As for the opticians that consistently win, I would like to congratulate them once more on their outstanding performance. This is very well deserved and a result of their efforts to continuously upgrade their practice.
VP: The ZEISS ‘YOU&EYE’ AWARDS are generally conducted in Delhi or Mumbai. Do you think we should go consider other cities as well?
RP: Yes, we must certainly explore different cities. This will promote the awards further.
VP: What would you suggest to opticians on why they should participate in this Awards initiative and how would it help them in
their business activities.
RP: I would like to encourage more opticians to participate. To the consumers, their participation is a strong message that their optician is committed to excellence. Also, this gives them an opportunity to benchmark their practice with that of opticians across the country. This should help to elevate their practice even further. Winning an award is great recognition in the optical fraternity and can have a positive impact on the ability to attract new and retain existing consumers.
VP: In the last one year we have seen multiple new innovations from ZEISS. Tell us how the market has responded to them.
RP: From an innovation standpoint, the last year has been very exciting. There have been several innovations across multiple categories. Be it our progressive lens designs, portfolio of coatings, innovation in the Finished Single Vision category, technology solutions, or
lens accessories.
These have been very well received by the market. I would like to thank all our partners for supporting all the innovations and for their trust in ZEISS. Innovation is a way of life at ZEISS, and I can assure you that there are many more to come.
VP: In the end I would like to understand what initiatives ZEISS is taking to enable the ambitions of your customers.
RP: We are committed to being a business partner to the ECPs and not their competitor. Everything we do is centered around enabling customer success. Some of the initiatives that we have taken up in this direction are:
Offer innovative products and solutions with a mission to empower partners, and to transform the lives of their customers.
Launch of the ZEISS Vision Expert program that enables our partners to enhance their practice and provide the consumer with an elevated and holistic retail experience.
Partnering with customers on various digital initiatives to build superior consumer experience through digitalization.
Scaling up capabilities in India with the Vision Technology Solution R&D Team based out of India, the Rx lab setup for global supply, and a newly established lab to manufacture free-form blanks.
