Word travels differently these days, and the new ways we consume information is now rattling the windows of the ivory tower of ophthalmology. Rayner\u2019s Peer2Peer platform represents the firm\u2019s attempt to provide a forum for doctors to interact with this new world of ophthalmic content. We sat down with Rayner\u2019s Vice President of Marketing Christopher Willis to dissect their unique approach with Peer2Peer and how it fits in with their vision of the industry\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
The dissemination of medical information has traditionally been a slow, methodical and calculated drip through the mass of doctors that use it to inform their practice. Not so long ago, the latest news on drugs, devices, tools and procedures was broken along the plodding rhythm of periodicals or spread sluggishly through tight word-of-mouth networks.<\/p>\n
That drip is now a deluge. Information floods in through the floorboards around the clock and in a dizzying array of novel forms\u2014podcasts, videos of all stripes, multimedia articles\u2014all piped in quite literally at the speed of light.<\/p>\n
Companies like UK-based ophthalmic solution manufacturer Rayner know this. The race is on to adjust, adapt, and ride the crest of this wave to make sure information on their ophthalmic offerings isn\u2019t cast adrift. Rayner\u2019s answer is their allencompassing online clinical program and resource hub, Peer2Peer\u2014and the company\u2019s strategy behind the platform is a bold wager on what\u2019s to come in eye care.<\/p>\n
Rayner\u2019s approach is informed by one peculiar feature of the modern consumer landscape. Buyers are relying on word-of-mouth from colleagues and experts more than ever to evaluate goods and services. For Rayner Vice President of Marketing Christopher Willis, a large part of Rayner\u2019s Peer2Peer path is based on embracing this. \u201cNo one wants to hear from the marketing team anymore,\u201d he noted. \u201cThey want to hear from their peers about their experience with the latest products and solutions. Peer2Peer gives them the platform to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in the middle of a boom in influencer marketing, and I believe ophthalmology is as much an influencer market as any other.\u201d \u2014 Christopher Willis, Vice President of Marketing, Rayner<\/p>\n
Most will recognize this as the logic underpinning the modern influencer-dominated marketing economy, and Mr. Willis takes it as gospel that this approach has breached the inner sanctum of eye care. \u201cWe are in the middle of a boom in influencer marketing, and I believe ophthalmology is as much an influencer market as any other,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurgeons want to know what their colleagues are doing\u2014especially those who have a respected reputation with publications and studies,\u201d Mr. Willis continued. \u201cThey not only want to know what they\u2019re doing, but how they\u2019re doing it \u2013 tips, tricks, suggestions for optimizing technology and maximizing patient satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
The knock here would be that the modern consumer has largely wizened up to companies essentially throwing their voice onto an army of paid influencers. But Rayner knows this, and this is where the gambit with Peer2Peer takes shape.<\/p>\n
According to Mr. Willis, Peer2Peer is a space where clinicians and publicly available data dominate the messaging. \u201cIt\u2019s for surgeons, by surgeons,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe host the platform and facilitate the content creation, but it\u2019s the opinion and experiences of the surgeons that can be seen and heard when visiting the platform.\u201d \u2014 Christopher Willis, Vice President of Marketing, Rayner<\/p>\n
With their concept, Rayner doesn\u2019t dictate what can and cannot appear on the platform. Doctors who use their products are free to create, to comment, to explore. Rayner simply acts as the middle man. \u201cWe host the platform and facilitate the content creation, but it\u2019s the opinion and experiences of the surgeons that can be seen and heard when visiting the platform,\u201d Mr. Willis explained.<\/p>\n
The end result is a nexus of both clinical and experiential information from some of the top ophthalmic surgeons in the world\u2014 all collaborating to cover the topics they see as important to advance their practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeer2Peer is quite a decentralized process at Rayner,\u201d observed Mr. Willis. \u201cOur team members are in the field engaging with key opinion leaders. They\u2019re listening to the market to understand what people either want to talk about or want to hear. Once we have something interesting identified, we look for experts in that field to lead the discussion.<\/p>\n
Rayner\u2019s bold approach with Peer2Peer has yielded an impressive haul of content thus far. From webinars recorded at global ophthalmic congresses to clinical research papers and interviews with all-star surgeons in a variety of languages, Peer2Peer is designed with global reach in mind.<\/p>\n
The key offering for Mr. Willis, however, is the star-studded podcast series. Since launching in January of 2023, Peer2Peer has hosted over 30 podcast episodes, which have racked up a whopping 12,000 listens. \u201cSome of our top-performing episodes have come from significant thought leaders in the field, such as Dr. Damien Gatinel, Prof. Gerd Auffarth, Dr. Roger Zaldivar, and Dr. Eric Donnenfeld, just to name a few,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
These big names are bound to explain some of the platform\u2019s early successes. Mr. Willis believes, however, that the philosophy behind the content is what has sustained Peer2Peer in becoming one of the most successful initiatives in eye care.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeer2Peer is open to all health care professionals,\u201d he said. \u201cThis may well be one of the top performing [platforms] in the industry. We see no reason to restrict this content. A lot of what\u2019s on there would be of benefit to every practicing ophthalmologist.<\/p>\n
Despite the runaway successes of Peer2Peer in 2023, Rayner sees the platform as constantly evolving. New features are constantly being incorporated, and the recent Peer2Peer 2.0 launch reflects the ease-of-use and accessibility ethos that defines their renowned line of IOLs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have so much content now that we\u2019ve incorporated an enhanced search function,\u201d Mr. Willis said. \u201cThere\u2019s also a new feature called KOL Corner, which links timestamped content to frequently asked questions, enabling those who don\u2019t have the time to watch an entire webinar to get to the precise content they\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the end, Rayner\u2019s big bet on Peer2Peer and its unorthodox approach to the corporate relationship to content hinges on two factors. The first is that the flexibility they have built into the platform in its early stages will allow them to quickly respond to trends across the industry. \u201cThe beauty of digital is that we will continue to evolve the platform based on what we\u2019re seeing. As habits change, we will continue to change,\u201d Mr. Willis reflected.<\/p>\n
The second is that the open forum they have created for discussion keeps the messaging around their products positive. But the very existence of the platform, the names attached to the content involved, and its runaway early success reflect not only Rayner\u2019s supreme confidence in what it produces. It is also a testament to the trust thousands of doctors around the world have in the firm, and with Peer2Peer, Rayner is betting it stays that way.<\/p>\n
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