Planning & Executing a Successful "Media Day" Event
“Hosting our first Media Day at Carl Zeiss Meditec allowed us to showcase our products and our personnel to the key editors that write about our field. CoActive helped us to realize the importance of opening our doors to the press and to local public officials and worked with us every step of the way to ensure success. We are now looking for ways to expand this event to other parts of the business.”
History: With more than 160 years of experience in optical innovation, Carl Zeiss Meditec is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies. The company’s Dublin, CA headquarters employs more than 700 people, manufactures nine different instruments on-site, and distributes more than 7,000 worldwide shipments each year.
Challenge: While Carl Zeiss Meditec enjoys a reputation for developing gold standard medical products, the public views Carl Zeiss Meditec as a German-based company. Our goal is to re-position Carl Zeiss Meditec as the international medical technology company that it is today.
Solution: Media Day was the first step in broadening the public perception of Carl Zeiss Meditec. Held at its US headquarters in Dublin, CA, the event allowed the company to share its vision, technology and personnel with the trade reporters that cover medical technologies in the US market as well as with the local press and public officials interested in contributions of companies in their back yard. CoActive worked closely with the executive management and US marketing team to determine the scope and vision of Media Day. Together we developed a detailed program that included management presentations of the company’s global vision and role in the local community, a tour of the manufacturing facility, and a round-robin style technology forum that highlighted the company’s most innovative new products. The day concluded with a dinner reception and wine tasting at Wente Vineyards.
Results: More than 20 attendees, including the Mayor of Dublin and key members of the ophthalmic media from across the country, attended Carl Zeiss Meditec‘s first Media Day. In a feedback survey, attendees rated Media Day as 4.5 out of 5.0, and commented that “Media Day was extremely well planned and informative . . . .The technology sessions and tour helped to provide an in-depth understanding of the product development, use and market position. . . . . The education on your mission and community efforts really demonstrated your commitment to the industry and community.”