Marketing Your Footcare BusinessMarketing Your Footcare Business

Richard Schnaittacher,Richard Schnaittacher, C.Ped.C.Ped.

Toronto, OntarioToronto, OntarioDecember 6, 2008December 6, 2008

THE ESSENCE OF AETREXTHE ESSENCE OF AETREX

• Established 1946Established 1946

• All products for ankle and belowAll products for ankle and below

• From custom to ready madeFrom custom to ready made

• Product range from orthopedic to Product range from orthopedic to fashionable comfortfashionable comfort

• Changed name from Apex Foot Changed name from Apex Foot Health Industries, Inc. in May Health Industries, Inc. in May 20052005

FIRST STEP: CREATING AN FIRST STEP: CREATING AN IMAGEIMAGE

KEYS TO BUILDING A KEYS TO BUILDING A PROFITABLE BUSINESSPROFITABLE BUSINESS

• Superior ServiceSuperior Service

• Differentiation from CompetitionDifferentiation from Competition

• Complementary ProductsComplementary Products

• Perception of ValuePerception of Value

• Reduce Price SensitivityReduce Price Sensitivity

Creating Superior Creating Superior ServiceService

• Employees’ AttitudeEmployees’ Attitude

• KnowledgeKnowledge

• TrainingTraining

• PatiencePatience

• Examples, good and otherwiseExamples, good and otherwise

Complementary ProductsComplementary Products

Complementary ProductsComplementary Products

• Control Final ResultControl Final Result

• Fewer return visitsFewer return visits

• Increase customer satisfactionIncrease customer satisfaction

• More profitable modelMore profitable model

• Goal: Facilitating Patient Care Goal: Facilitating Patient Care without sacrificing qualitywithout sacrificing quality

DifferentiationDifferentiation

What is your specialty?What is your specialty?

Use that as your focusUse that as your focus

Control Your Message, Be Control Your Message, Be ConsistentConsistent

• Choosing a Slogan that best Choosing a Slogan that best represents your firm:represents your firm:

• New York Presbyterian: “Amazing New York Presbyterian: “Amazing Things are Happening Here”Things are Happening Here”

• Westchester Hospital: “World class Westchester Hospital: “World class medicine not a world away..”medicine not a world away..”

• Mt. Sinai Hospital: “Another day, Mt. Sinai Hospital: “Another day, Another Breakthrough”Another Breakthrough”

• Name a Medical SpecialtyName a Medical Specialty

Mission StatementMission Statement

Expand on Corporate SloganExpand on Corporate Slogan

Physical Layout is ImportantPhysical Layout is Important

• ColorsColors

• Comfortable ChairsComfortable Chairs

• SpaceSpace

• Employee AttitudeEmployee Attitude

• LightingLighting

• MusicMusic

Target Your MarketsTarget Your Markets

• Age GroupsAge Groups

• Diabetic ComplicationsDiabetic Complications

• Sports MedicineSports Medicine

• Occupational SpecialtiesOccupational Specialties

• Senior CentersSenior Centers

• SchoolsSchools

• Fitness CentersFitness Centers

• ReferralsReferrals

Marketing Tools: Creating a Marketing Tools: Creating a Consistent ImageConsistent Image

– P.O.P. DisplaysP.O.P. Displays– BrochuresBrochures– Advertising: print, radio, T.V.Advertising: print, radio, T.V.– Special Events, lectures in facility or at Special Events, lectures in facility or at

referral sourcereferral source– Detailing referral sourcesDetailing referral sources– Cross-referrals with medical communityCross-referrals with medical community– InternetInternet– CouponsCoupons

Example of Implementing Example of Implementing Marketing StrategyMarketing Strategy

The Remaking of Aetrex The Remaking of Aetrex (Apex)(Apex)

1992: Maker of Orthopedic 1992: Maker of Orthopedic Footwear and Custom insolesFootwear and Custom insoles

1998: First Leather Lined 1998: First Leather Lined ShoeShoe

1999: Taking Advantage of 1999: Taking Advantage of Popularity of the InternetPopularity of the Internet

2002: Introduction of Foot 2002: Introduction of Foot Scanning TechnologyScanning Technology

iStep TechnologyiStep TechnologyUsing Attractive Display FormatUsing Attractive Display Format

• 3744 Barometric 3744 Barometric Sensors: pressureSensors: pressure

• 1326 infrared LED’s 1326 infrared LED’s to measure footto measure foot

• Variety of Variety of attractive displaysattractive displays

• Reasonable CostReasonable Cost

LyncosLyncos

• Semi-custom Semi-custom for immediate for immediate useuse

• Met pads and/or Met pads and/or Medial Posts Medial Posts

• Fits variety of Fits variety of FootwearFootwear

2002-Present2002-Present

Rapid Expansion of Rapid Expansion of Footwear Footwear

ProductsProducts

AmbulatorAmbulatorBiomechanical ShoeBiomechanical ShoeAmbulatorAmbulatorBiomechanical ShoeBiomechanical Shoe• ½” Extra Depth½” Extra Depth

• Three insolesThree insoles

• Straight LastStraight Last

• Moldable Moldable counterscounters

• P/U OutsoleP/U Outsole

• 20022002• Attractive, Attractive,

TherapeuticTherapeutic• 5/16” extra depth5/16” extra depth• Multiple widthsMultiple widths• Two insolesTwo insoles• Firm counter Firm counter • Ample toe boxAmple toe box• Rocker soleRocker sole• Mozaic insoleMozaic insole

LASTS AND FUNCTIONLASTS AND FUNCTION

• Lenex: Lenex: StraightStraight

• Voyage: Voyage: semi semi straight.straight.

• Ozone: semi Ozone: semi curvedcurved

Women’s EssenceWomen’s Essence

Men’s GramercyMen’s Gramercy

Mozaic: Instant Mozaic: Instant CustomizationCustomization

Copper socksCopper socks

• Anti fungal and Anti fungal and bacterialbacterial

• Anti odorAnti odor

• Improves skin Improves skin qualityquality

• Moisture Moisture wickingwicking

2005: Apex Become 2005: Apex Become Aetrex Creates New Aetrex Creates New

SloganSlogan

““Living My Way”Living My Way”

VALUE OF FOOTCARE VALUE OF FOOTCARE SPECIALISTSSPECIALISTS • WELL TRAINED TO TREAT VARIETY OF FOOT WELL TRAINED TO TREAT VARIETY OF FOOT

PROBLEMSPROBLEMS

• CAN REFER FOR PROBLEMS BEYOND CAN REFER FOR PROBLEMS BEYOND EXPERTISEEXPERTISE

• LACK OF SERVICE-ORIENTED PROVIDERSLACK OF SERVICE-ORIENTED PROVIDERS

• CREDIBILITY WITH PATIENTSCREDIBILITY WITH PATIENTS

Review of Marketing Review of Marketing TechniquesTechniques

• Establish Market Strategy: target nichesEstablish Market Strategy: target niches

• Advertising: use cost effective media such Advertising: use cost effective media such as senior newsletters, community papers, as senior newsletters, community papers, church newsletterschurch newsletters

• Health Fairs and Diabetes ExposHealth Fairs and Diabetes Expos

• Direct Mail: current patients and targeted Direct Mail: current patients and targeted listslists

• Displays in Office: communicate Displays in Office: communicate products/services. Create immediate and products/services. Create immediate and future cash salesfuture cash sales

Marketing Techniques Marketing Techniques (cont’d)(cont’d)• Custom literature. Prescription Pad Custom literature. Prescription Pad

with Doctor information.with Doctor information.• Product Binder for Referral Sources: Product Binder for Referral Sources:

organize by orthotics, prosthetics and organize by orthotics, prosthetics and then by upper, lower body, etc.then by upper, lower body, etc.

• Internet: Research hospitals, Internet: Research hospitals, doctors. Find support groups that doctors. Find support groups that might need you as speaker. Identify might need you as speaker. Identify senior, health and diabetic consumer senior, health and diabetic consumer expos. Email patients, very cost expos. Email patients, very cost effective.effective.

Caruso-Schnaittacher MatrixCaruso-Schnaittacher Matrix

• Framework for Selecting Correct ProductFramework for Selecting Correct Product

• Minimize Key Variables to:Minimize Key Variables to:– Range of Motion: Flexible or RigidRange of Motion: Flexible or Rigid– Activity Level: Low/Moderate or High/ActiveActivity Level: Low/Moderate or High/Active– Nerve Sensation: Normal or ImpairedNerve Sensation: Normal or Impaired– Weight: Light/Moderate or HeavyWeight: Light/Moderate or Heavy– Apply above to most common foot conditions: Apply above to most common foot conditions:

– Flat Feet, Cavus Feet, Partial feetFlat Feet, Cavus Feet, Partial feet

800-526-2739800-526-2739THANKSTHANKS

Rich SchnaittacherRich SchnaittacherParadigm MedicalParadigm Medical