Maintaining eye health: Q&A with Prestige Brands’ Joseph Juliano

Joseph Juliano, VP marketing for analgesics, eye care and marketing services at Prestige Brands

Prestige Brands has introduced the first preservative-free eye drop in a multi-dose bottle in the United States with Clear Eyes Pure Relief. Drug Store News sat down with Joseph Juliano, VP marketing for analgesics, eye care and marketing services at Prestige Brands, to discuss the brand launch, along with trends impacting the overall eye care category.

(To view the full Category Review, click here.)



DSN: What is the significance of a preservative-free multi-use solution being brought to the market?



Joseph Juliano: Consumers are looking for a preservative-free solution in eye drops. ... Our solution gives the consumer over 220 drops of preservative-free eye drops. It’s a very good solution from a value standpoint.



DSN: What is Prestige doing this year to support the launch of Clear Eyes Pure Relief?



Juliano: We’re going to aggressively support this with both the consumer and the trade. From a consumer standpoint, we have a national TV and digital campaign, which started in April. ... Our TV commercial has the voice of Vanessa Williams, who’s our longtime spokesperson. Vanessa will be making appearances for us to help spread the word around Pure Relief. … Also, we’re speaking with healthcare professionals to make them aware of our multi-dose preservative-free bottle. From a trade standpoint, we’re aggressively investing in shopper marketing to make sure that the shopper is aware of this new solution.

DSN: What’s driving consumption in the eye care category, and how might retailers capitalize on that opportunity?

Juliano: The eye care category is a great, thriving category. All the segments are growing. It’s because consumers are living longer, which is great. Dry eye syndrome continues to be an issue for older consumers, [and] a product like Pure Relief is a good solution for them. [The category growth] also is because of how people are using their eyes. People are spending a lot more time looking at their phone or on a device. They need solutions to make sure they maintain their eye health.