What's the deal Transitions / America's Best

[IndianaOD]

Just saw an ad that Transitions is "partnering" with America's Best (Worst). What is the deal with this? Perhaps I need to look at other photochromics?

If Transitions wants to partner with high volume / low quality commercial joints like this I don't think that speaks well.

[Johns]

Just saw an ad that Transitions is "partnering" with America's Best (Worst). What is the deal with this? Perhaps I need to look at other photochromics?

If Transitions wants to partner with high volume / low quality commercial joints like this I don't think that speaks well.

What's the definition of "partnering"?

If I'm Transitions, I'm selling to anyone that wants to buy my product. If it's someone that wants to buy a lot of product...all the better!

Sure, I guess you could find many other photochromatics out there. Want some samples of some of them I've tried? There's a ton of them out there, but nothing I've tried can stand up to Transitions.

Go with a another product because the best one is partnering w/your competition? Sure, I do it all the time w/frames and even lenses, but I wouldn't do it with Transitions. Kind of like cutting of your nose to spite your face...

[eyemanflying]

Get used to it friend. It's called get survival. You get sales wherever you can these days!

[IndianaOD]

Oh, I don't think you can just assume the independents are going to look the other way. It seems private docs and opticians are starting to really care. I know many ODs who have recently left Essilor for private friendly Hoya.

Ciba got slammed from running a co-op with 1800. I have it on good authority that a couple Ciba employees got fired from it. We are an "A" Ciba account and I told them if it happens again we are gone.

[Johns]

Oh, I don't think you can just assume the independents are going to look the other way. It seems private docs and opticians are starting to really care. I know many ODs who have recently left Essilor for private friendly Hoya.

Ciba got slammed from running a co-op with 1800. I have it on good authority that a couple Ciba employees got fired from it. We are an "A" Ciba account and I told them if it happens again we are gone.

Ok, so you left Essilor for Hoya.
You could leave Ciba for Cooper.

Here's the $64 question: You would leave Tranistions for _________________?

[nooksak]

well I do work for them, I agree for the most part they are horrible...but its a paycheck....I think the "partnership" is the same way they are partnered with walmart, shopko etc...

[bob66hall]

Follow the money, and connect the dots, and you often get back to PPG (the $15 billion public company that also makes the windshields and paints on most of the cars you drive). Big [public] companies gravitate toward BIG customers. We are a small customer of theirs, and understand this well. PPG commonly joint-ventures with others in the Rx lens biz. The point is, when you dance with the majors, especially the publicly-traded ones, beware the taste of Kool-Aid.

[IndianaOD]

Follow the money, and connect the dots, and you often get back to PPG (the $15 billion public company that also makes the windshields and paints on most of the cars you drive). Big [public] companies gravitate toward BIG customers. We are a small customer of theirs, and understand this well. PPG commonly joint-ventures with others in the Rx lens biz. The point is, when you dance with the majors, especially the publicly-traded ones, beware the taste of Kool-Aid.

One private account is not a big deal but in large numbers private practice docs and opticians can dwarf most all commercial joints. This is why it is important for independents to be able to post their objections.

[hcjilson]

Simply put, Their job is to make the product and market the product. Their game is the same as ours. Its called move the product. I can only speak from my own experience, but in the case of Transitions, they have done more to sell my customers their product than I have. Most come in wanting the product to begin with so selling it is not rocket science, and it isn't really salesmanship either.

Why shouldn't Transitions sell their product to whomever wants it, and why shouldn't they "partner" with another company to do it. As long as you have the product available, what possible difference could it make to you?

[IndianaOD]

Question: why is this forum still up if Transitions is no longer writing checks?

[IndianaOD]

Simply put, Their job is to make the product and market the product. Their game is the same as ours. Its called move the product. I can only speak from my own experience, but in the case of Transitions, they have done more to sell my customers their product than I have. Most come in wanting the product to begin with so selling it is not rocket science, and it isn't really salesmanship either.

Why shouldn't Transitions sell their product to whomever wants it, and why shouldn't they "partner" with another company to do it. As long as you have the product available, what possible difference could it make to you?

Because they are using income from me to run ads for companies I have zero respect for and consider bad for the public and eye care professionals.

[bob66hall]

One private account is not a big deal but in large numbers private practice docs and opticians can dwarf most all commercial joints. This is why it is important for independents to be able to post their objections.

7eye buys lenses by the tens of thousands (= hundreds of thousands of dollars), and we don't matter much! It takes a whole lot of us (ECP's and independent brands) to matter, compared to the majors. Or do we [matter at all]?

YOU have the "power of the pen"...it's YOUR purchase order book, and at the end of the day, YOUR hand rules!

[hcjilson]

Because they are using income from me to run ads for companies I have zero respect for and consider bad for the public and eye care professionals.

They are using funds allocated for co-operative advertising, usually based on a percentage of annualized business from the recipient of the ad. This is available to everyone whether or not you choose to use it. This is an old practice and done by a lot of the players in this industry.They are not using income from you to do this, nor do they particularly care whether or not you respect the companies they do this with. It is a percentage of the business done with the company involved, nothing to do with you. I don't think its fair to blame a company just because it has more purchasing power. My guess is that you could avail yourself of some co-op money if you wanted to....or perhaps through your buying group or professional association, if in fact they buy collectively. There are plenty of ways you could accomplish this. If you want to find out how, hire an advertising agency....they'll find co-op money for you, but you'll have to spend it to get it. That's where smaller business's and practices tend to tighten the purse strings.

[hcjilson]

Question: why is this forum still up if Transitions is no longer writing checks?

I do not have the answer to that question but one could be......We wanted to provide a field upon which to tilt at windmills! :):) Another could be.... we wanted to have a place for Jim Schafer,our friend and fellow moderator, to hold court and answer any technical questions concerning Transitions.His participation on this board has been considerable and predated Transition sponsorship (I seem to recall). I believe their participation financially was limited to the banner ad and link to their site, and the forum was not a part of that. I may be mistaken in that regard because frankly ,it was none of our business. As a matter of fact that is probably the best response tp your question.

Why do you ask??