Executive Summary

Dr. John T. Couvillion, after operating from a number of successful offices around Louisiana, has set his sights on expanding to a location in Lafayette, La. This campaign has been designed to assist in a smooth transition to this area for the doctor and his staff. Dr. Couvillion already has a considerable amount of patients who would benefit from this new office, as well as ample opportunity for growth and even more success than he already enjoys. Before Dr. Couvllion can open an office here in Lafayette, research must be conducted to determine the need of a new retina specialist in this area. Through the collection of data it has been concluded that Lafayette would be a prime location for this specialized medical office. Lafayette is experiencing a period of growth and the amount of new businesses and services being offered in the area are no exception. Dr. Couvillions state-of-the art technology and updated procedures for retinal care would be welcome in Acadiana, which is already becoming the hub for exceptional medical service in the state. Through interviews with Dr. Couvillion and his staff, it has been determined that the majority of patients seen by the doctor are from the 60+ category. Therefore, new media such as Facebook or Twitter would be ineffective, because people in the 60+ age range are far less likely to pay attention to or participate in these forms of communication. This idea is corroborated by the data collected, which shows that the majority of patients seeking specialized optical care prefer to receive newsletters (electronic or paper), newspapers, local magazines and television. These traditional media will play a large part in how Dr. Couvillion will promote his office and services in the Acadiana area. New patients are most often referred by their optometrist, ophthalmologist, or endocrinologist so these doctors, as well as their patients, have been determined as the target audience