1st Group targets over 40s in new campaign to promote EyeHealth1st initiative via Messy Design

1st Group Limited, the Australian digital health group, has launched a national early intervention campaign called EyeHealth1st via Sydney-based Messy Design.

The initiative will consist of a multi-channel marketing campaign that drives awareness around the need for regular eye health checks, pointing the public to a new dedicated online education and booking platform for independent optometrists: eyehealth1st.com.au. 

EyeHealth1st is powered by the proprietary technology platform behind MyHealth1st, Australia’s leading online healthcare appointment booking service that has enabled more than eight million users to book appointments across a broad range of health professions including doctors, dentists, optometrists and physiotherapists.

With MyHealth1st already Australia’s number one online booking platform for optometrists, managing director and co-founder Klaus Bartosch said creating a dedicated portal for eye health would enable independent optometrists to better compete against the two major giants in the market.

Says Bartosch: “The typical community optometrist doesn’t have the budget to go up against the major players, which is why this campaign is going to make a major impact. We’re uniting the majority of independent optometrists under the EyeHealth1st brand, giving them a bigger voice in the market collectively and making it easier for millions of Australians to find the best eye health experts in their community.  

“The latest stats from IBISWorld show the optometry industry is worth $3.7 billion. We want to drive a large chunk of this revenue to the independent optometrists who make up the majority of the market in Australia via eyehealth1st.com.au.”

The national campaign aims to reach five million Australians every month, and will be supported by partners including Glaucoma Australia, Optometry Giving Sight, MyDr.com.au, Tonic Health Media and MiVision.

Says Bartosch: “Eye health is a pressing issue that needs far greater awareness. Through the EyeHealth1st initiative, we’re hoping to reach five million Australians per month and ultimately reduce the incidents of preventable vision loss and blindness – particularly for people aged 40 years and over.”

MyHealth1st is Australia’s leading online healthcare appointment booking service. It started six years ago with the mission of making it easier for Australians to find and book medical appointments with their preferred providers, and it now includes more than 25,000 health practitioners across more than 100 disciplines and specialties.

The suite of products offered by 1st Group has evolved from online appointments to include a suite of complementary subscription and fee-based products such as EasyCheck-ins, EasyRecalls, EasyFeedback, 1stInsights and MyHealthHub.