I will be attending the Unitron Engage conference over the next few days. The Engage event is always an interesting one, it will cover both the new Discover product but also includes business focused presentations and the latest Unitron learnings pertaining to their key and unique customer engagement strategies.
Innovation
Nicola McLaughlin discussed leading innovation in the first introductory session. She covered innovation within the wider technology world and the hearing care world. She said that Unitron is focused on innovation in both core technology (sound and efficacy) and wider ancillary technology (bio-sensors etc).
Marketing Trends
Laura McFadden discussed marketing trends moving forward. There were some excellent key findings. She detailed what she called mega trends across consumers. These are the core trends that we are seeing across all consumers.
Unitron has also taken some time to identify the personas that we should be expecting to see. They have also rounded them out to include core information that we need to understand them and reach them.
That deeper understanding allows us to organise a strategy that best reaches this type of consumer. Unitron detailed it as follows.
How to Reach Them?
Knowing these things help us, but where can we reach these people? Where do we need to put our marketing spend, what channels do we need to consider?
The channels are important, but the message needs to be carefully crafted. These are the channels that we need to consider.
Solving The Marketing Mystery
For all of us, marketing is a difficult task. What works best, when and how? Unitron identifies the who, what and where. The key piece though is you, your brand.
The Flex Experience
Next up was Lilika Beck with an excellent presentation on the Flex Experience. Consumers are looking for something different. The Flex Experience may well be the answer to their wants and needs.
It could also be the answer to the underlying pressure from OTC and other existential threats against the profession.
Consumers are unhappy with the traditional customer journey. But how are we to meet their changing wants?
Today’s consumers want change, they want their needs met, and they want them met in the way they desire. It means that our model, the very way we provide hearing aids is open for disruption.
The use of Flex allows the journey to change, more than that, it allows a collaborative approach to the hearing aid journey. A more involved Patient is a better thing for both us, and them. The Flex system allows the consumer to become more involved in the process. It allows them to understand the process and how hearing aid technology can meet their needs.
Unitron has now formalised the Flex experience, laying out the strategy for Flex in order to differentiate your clinic and your customer journey. The new process has seen excellent results in the areas that it has been used.
Lilika detailed one study that was undertaken in the US. The outcomes of using Flex technology were interesting, to say the least, the next few images cover the outcomes.
Clearly, the use of the Flex system changed outcomes in the clinic. It is also clear that they were changed for the better. It makes a lot of sense. I spoke about the use of Flex many years ago and I saw it as a fantastic tool to be used to differentiate your practice and enter into collaborative hearing care.
Using Big Data
Shaun Coghlan of Unitron discussed how big data is changing how Unitron understands and designs the experience. Big data is changing our world and the hearing aid industry recognises this. Each brand is using data in different ways, some are focused on machine learning and making the hearing aid better. While Unitron does that, it is also focused on making the experience of purchasing hearing aids better.
The Insights system, combined with Log It All and Patient Ratings are all designed to personalise the experience, to help hearing care professionals offer personalised hearing care. That has been very clear during the day, Unitron sees their entire offering as experience based.
Today has been excellent, it is clear that Unitron is focused on the future of hearing aid provision. They are focusing on delivering an experience to consumers, an experience that is wrapped around their products. But that’s the funny thing, in all the talk, the actual product mentions are few and far between.
This type of system allows the profession and the service and experience they offer, to be the central part of the process. That is something worth thinking about.
Day Two, Meet The Hearing Aids
Day Two, Meet The New Range
Day two here in Amsterdam is all about meeting the new Discover range and finding out what it offers. We know already that it is only two Receiver In Canal hearing aid devices and we believe it is across all the levels of technology. So here we go, Darran Farry General Manager of Unitron Canada takes the stage to welcome us back.
First Fit Updated
Unitron has changed the first fit experience to better reflect the experiences in the clinic. They now deliver a slightly different and flatter prescription, to begin with for new users. It means better acceptance, without any change to the endpoint. The final prescription remains the same. You can see below a typical audiogram we come across every day
Below, you can see the new first fit from Unitron in a real ear measurement system. The first fit is to the left and the final fit is to the right.
The automatic acclimatisation management has been changed as well. The process is faster than it once was. Unitron were very conservative with the acclimatisation management usually moving people to full prescription over four to six months.
With feedback from their customers and their own validation, they realised that they could speed that up. They now undertake the acclimatisation over four to six weeks.
Fitting in Five Clicks
The fitting process is fast, I mean really fast. Five clicks and you are there, of course, if you need a deeper experience for any reason, it’s easy to get to where you need to be.
The Sound Experience
Leah Vusich is on the stage to give us a clear idea about how the new sound management system works within the Discover range. She outlines three ways, classifying sound like a 20 year old, 10 plus years of machine learning to train the system and finally, all of that has led to SoundCore. Let’s take a look at that.
SoundNav 3.0
Sound Conductor
SoundCore
Connectivity
The new platform offers direct connectivity to any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. Using the new Sword chip allows them to offer seamless stereo audio streaming from any mobile phone.
Newly Designed Models
The two models available are the Moxi Fit and the Moxi Jump R. The devices have had a full re-design for comfort and quality feel. They also have introduced new receivers and domes. Of course, the Jump R is the very first lithium-ion powered rechargeable hearing aid from Unitron.
It will offer 24 hours of use from one charge, no outline on longevity with streaming though. We will update that later.
