McDougall Communications and Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) Honored with 2018 American Marketing Association Pinnacle Awards
Global Brand Launch Recognized Among Top Programs of the Year
Global Brand Launch Recognized Among Top Programs of the Year

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 18, 2018—A marketing initiative that became the talk of Chicago late last year was recognized Thursday evening at the American Marketing Association’s Pinnacle Awards ceremony, taking home top (gold) honors in the Special Event and Small Business/Organization Campaign categories. The program, which launched the reimagined Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) brand to the international optometry community, was developed and conducted by McDougall Communications.
Centered on CORE’s debut at the 2017 American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting, the campaign encouraged hundreds of ocular researchers, eye care professionals, industry executives and optometry students to co-create a large-format mural over three days in Chicago last October. The resulting work, titled Collected Insight by lead artist John Park, was then installed at CORE’s headquarters within the School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
The campaign is also a finalist for the 2018 PRSA Silver Anvil Awards—the Oscars® of the public relations industry—which will be announced on June 7 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan.
“We are privileged to partner with clients such as CORE, who understand that effectively reaching audiences requires a sound strategy, differentiated thinking, and persistence,” said Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, president of McDougall Communications. “This launch not only turned heads and created smiles. It delivered meaningful results such as an immediate spike in brand recognition and opportunities for new partnerships.”
Founded in 1988 (and originally named the Centre for Contact Lens Research), CORE’s uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment.
McDougall Communications, founded in 2011, is focused on helping clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific meet their business objectives through a range of communications services, including strategic planning, media and influencer relations, reputation and crisis counsel, and social media management. Its work spans industries that include medical devices, biotechnology, healthcare, professional services and advanced technologies.
Centered on CORE’s debut at the 2017 American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting, the campaign encouraged hundreds of ocular researchers, eye care professionals, industry executives and optometry students to co-create a large-format mural over three days in Chicago last October. The resulting work, titled Collected Insight by lead artist John Park, was then installed at CORE’s headquarters within the School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
The campaign is also a finalist for the 2018 PRSA Silver Anvil Awards—the Oscars® of the public relations industry—which will be announced on June 7 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan.
“We are privileged to partner with clients such as CORE, who understand that effectively reaching audiences requires a sound strategy, differentiated thinking, and persistence,” said Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, president of McDougall Communications. “This launch not only turned heads and created smiles. It delivered meaningful results such as an immediate spike in brand recognition and opportunities for new partnerships.”
Founded in 1988 (and originally named the Centre for Contact Lens Research), CORE’s uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment.
McDougall Communications, founded in 2011, is focused on helping clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific meet their business objectives through a range of communications services, including strategic planning, media and influencer relations, reputation and crisis counsel, and social media management. Its work spans industries that include medical devices, biotechnology, healthcare, professional services and advanced technologies.