Toronto, Ontario September 8, 2010 – Several hearing clinics throughout Ontario have rebranded under Canada’s first national hearing clinic brand, Connect Hearing. Thirty clinics from Thunder Bay to Windsor are now part of what was formerly Island Hearing & Affiliates, a company recognized for being leaders in hearing-health for more than 30 years.
After starting as two clinics located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia in the late ‘70s, Connect Hearing has grown into Canada’s largest hearing company, by location, with more than 130 sites across the country, 30 in Ontario including Precious Hearing Clinics, Sault Ste. Marie Audiology, Stratford Audiology, Decibelle Hearing, Ottawa-Carleton Hearing Aid Dispensary and others. This announcement places Connect Hearing as the first national hearing-health brand for Canada.
“Our founding principles have always been based on increasing awareness of, and action against, hearing loss,” said Craig Cameron, CEO of Connect Hearing. “With all of our clinics under one name, it will be easier for the public to directly access our high-quality care, knowledge and products throughout Canada.”
As one of the first companies to introduce free hearing tests, product trials and finance options, Connect Hearing has seen tremendous growth in revenue, clinic count and geographical range within the hearing industry over the last seven years.
Over the past year and a half, Connect Hearing held focus groups, online surveys and commissioned an extensive body of research within the Canadian hearing industry. The resulting rebrand and accompanying advertising campaign is a new direction for hearing companies in Canada.
“Within every one of our focus groups, we heard loud and clear that Canadians were not aware of or clear on the options available to them when it comes to addressing their hearing loss needs,” said Cameron. “Our national network of clinics not only provides people with direct access to consultation, but our brand will continue to push for awareness of this important issue by speaking to the public in a way that is reflective of what they have told us.”
With a focus on hearing education and loss prevention, Connect Hearing has the largest network of registered audiologists and professional hearing instrument practitioners in Canada.
“More than 3.3 million Canadians have reported hearing loss and this number is increasing as our population ages,” said MJ DeSousa, director of audiology at Connect Hearing. “However, our research and focus groups found that there was low knowledge of what was available to help individuals with their hearing needs. This gave us a great starting point for our rebrand and raising awareness about what we do.”
Although more than 275,000 hearing aids are sold in Canada each year, it takes the average person seven years to take positive action towards their hearing loss once it is identified. More than 50 per cent of all Canadians over the age of 65 will experience some degree of hearing loss. In addition, a growing number of 30- to 40-year-olds are already showing signs of hearing loss.
The entire hearing industry continues to report growth in all provinces over the past few years, even during the economic recession. Similar to glasses and other medical accessories, many view hearing aids and assistive listening devices as a health necessity and not an indulgence.
Connect Hearing offers a range of hearing assessments and solutions, customizing each client’s experience to meet budget, need and lifestyle. After purchase, Connect Hearing offers ongoing support, ensuring a continued positive hearing experience for all listening device users.
About Connect Hearing:
Connect Hearing is Canada’s largest hearing company, by location, with more than 130 clinics across Canada, 64 of which are located in British Columbia. Offering customers a full spectrum of hearing assessments and solutions for more than 30 years, Connect Hearing has grown from two Vancouver Island-based clinics into a national hearing company – always providing customers with exceptional service and value.
-30-
Media Contact:
Tartan Group
Trisha Lees, Office: 250-592-3838, Cell: 250-896-3838 trisha@tartangroup.ca
Melaina Haas, Office: 250-592-3838, Cell: 250-891-3326 melaina@tartangroup.ca