Johnson and Johnson 2006 Annual Report Download - page 14

J O H N S O N & J O H N S O N 2 0 0 6 A N N U A L R E P O R T
In fact, the new line of disposable contact lenses adds a literal
layer of meaning to the saying “Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder.” The lens features a dark outer ring embedded
within the lens that makes the wearer’s iris appear larger—
an extremely subtle effect that many female (and even some
male) Asian contact lens wearers, notably in Korea and Japan,
find particularly desirable.
The latest addition to the line, 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE™
Vivid Style Cosmetic Contact Lenses, was launched in Korea,
Singapore, China and Japan in the fall of 2006. This style
offers a dramatic option for those who want a more vibrant
iris-enhancing effect.
LENS AFTER LENS The new 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE™ is only
the latest in a strong pipeline of Vision Care products launched
over the past two years.
For example, in 2005, the ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand
Contact Lenses for ASTIGMATISM made its debut as the first
silicone hydrogel daily wear contact lens for people with astig-
matism—a vision condition common to millions of children,
teenagers and adults. In addition, 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ Brand
Contact Lenses—with breakthrough LACREON™ technology—
were launched that year in Europe, Middle East and Africa with
considerable success. In Japan, 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ has
become the fastest-growing product in that category.
The new iris-enhancing product, 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE™
Brand Contact Lenses—including the first-launched Accent
Style and the new Vivid Style—has already proved wildly
popular in the Asia-Pacific region. The new brand, which was
developed in response to Asian customer research insights,
has helped 1-DAY ACUVUE® become a market leader there.
Many of those involved in developing the new brand are
pleased the product has exceeded expectations. But one
Korean-born employee of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.,
Karren Koo, was confident from the outset that this
iris-enhancing concept would strike a responsive chord
with contact lens wearers in Asia.
A TALE OF TWO “KARENS” In 2003, Koo—at the time a
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. marketing manager based
in Seoul, Korea—detected a consistent response in her market
focus groups. “Asian women kept saying they wanted a lens that
would make their eyes appear bigger and more distinctive,” Koo
recalls. “This kept coming up in the research, time and again.
“Additional research showed our customers wanted an
effect that was beautiful yet subtle and natural, as if they
were born with it. In other words, the lenses needed to be
their beauty secret,” Koo adds. “I felt certain that they would
respond favorably if we could combine a subtle, beauty-driven
iris enhancement along with the outstanding health benefits of
our popular 1-DAY ACUVUE® lenses.”
In meeting after meeting, Koo pressed her new-product
idea with her colleagues in marketing and R&D. Her gentle
persistence was finally rewarded when she was invited to
partner with “another Karen,” half a world away. A native
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O U R P A S S I O N T R A N S F O R M S :
Vision,
Beautifully
Once in a while, the success of a
new product exceeds even its
creators’ expectations. A case in
point is a new line of ACUVUE® Brand
Contact Lenses designed specifically to
enhance the attractiveness of dark Asian eyes.
A B O V E Dr. Karin McCarthy (left), Karren Koo