ClearlyContacts.ca is making over its brand to emphasize the expanded range of its offerings in the vision care business.
Rebranded as Clearly.ca, the Vancouver-based retailer is gearing up for multiple advertising campaigns to try to position itself as a diversified vision care partner offering health education and style services. The company has hired a new chief marketing officer, Nancy Richardson, who previously ran digital and brand strategy as vice-president at Lululemon Athletica.
The company “simply outgrew its name,” said Roy Hessel, Clearly’s CEO , a year into his tenure. The changes come a year after Clearly’s parent, Coastal Contacts Inc., the world’s largest retailer of online eyewear, was sold to Essilor International of France for $430 million.
“We no longer felt our customers would understand the extent of our new offerings without a rebrand.”
Hessel said Clearly will deliver a wider selection of lenses, more education through the order process and a group of “vision ambassadors” to make frame and lens recommendations based on customer information.
The company is the dominant global player in online eyewear and lenses but with just 4% of optical sales being done online he sees a lot of upside in the business, even with high-profile competitors such as Warby Parker making inroads as a digital fashion eyewear brand.
