Public Relations Society of America Recognizes EPIC Hearing Healthcare's Listen Hear! Public Education Initiative with a 2015 Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation

POMONA, Calif., July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has honored EPIC Hearing Healthcare (EPIC) and its public relations agency, Havas PR, with a 2015 Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation for its Listen Hear! initiative in the category of Media Relations, Business-to-Business, Professional and/or Financial Services. The awards, which recognize organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary public relations issue through exemplary creativity, planning and implementation, were presented at the 2015 Silver Anvil Awards Ceremony in New York City on June 4.

Despite more Americans facing hearing loss due to age and lifestyle factors, and the cost of hearing aids increasing, EPIC recognized that hearing insurance remained a quiet topic in the benefits industry. To raise awareness of need for hearing insurance, Havas PR helped EPIC launch its Listen Hear! public education initiative in May 2014, bringing awareness to the impact of untreated hearing loss and the importance of seeking treatment.

The Listen Hear! initiative includes several free educational resources about the impact of hearing loss on overall health, well-being and employee productivity, and it urges consumers and their employers to place more focus on prevention and treatment. Through an integrated marketing program, including multimedia education, a research-backed white paper and trade media outreach, EPIC achieved high visibility for hearing insurance in HR and broker publications, and placed hearing higher on the benefits industry's radar.

Enhanced Listen Hear! Website Makes a Debut 

Continuing to support the industry and consumers with access to free educational resources, EPIC has launched an enhanced version of the Listen Hear! website (epichearing.com/listenhear) – which features an improved user interface and even more resources. The updated website includes a wide range of materials that employers and employees alike can leverage and learn from, including:

• Flyers – These double-sided flyers detail statistics about hearing loss among several groups at special risk including kids, teachers, first responders and law enforcement.  Newly uploaded, the "Advocacy" flyer was designed to serve as an educational piece, empowering employees to take action and speak with their employer about making sure hearing health is covered in their benefit plans. 
• Infographics: Presenting key facts from EPIC's research in a visual manner, two infographics urge readers – and parents – to "Listen Hear! What you may not know about hearing loss, but should …".
• White paper – Titled, "The Need to Make Noise About Hearing at Work," this paper summarizes findings from EPIC's comprehensive survey of 1,500 employees and 500 employers on hearing loss and its financial, productivity and interpersonal consequences.

"We are honored to be recognized among other organizations that are successfully bringing attention to causes and messages that they stand behind," said Brad Volkmer, president and CEO, EPIC Hearing Healthcare. "What's even more rewarding is watching our campaign make headlines and seeing more employers place a greater focus on the hearing health of employees everywhere."   

About the Public Relations Society of America
PRSA is the largest professional organization serving the U.S. public relations community. With a mission to "advance the profession and the professional," PRSA provides news and information, thought leadership, continuing education and networking opportunities; sets standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct; and advocates for the business value of public relations and greater diversity among public relations professionals. Based in New York, PRSA comprises 110 local Chapters; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on specific industries and practice areas; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which is active at more than 340 colleges and universities.

ABOUT EPIC HEARING HEALTHCARE

Founded in 1997, EPIC Hearing Healthcare (EPIC) is the first in the country to provide access to hearing care as an ancillary or specialty benefit. With its extensive network of audiologists and hearing healthcare physicians, and distribution relationships with major hearing aid technology manufacturers, EPIC is now the national leader in hearing healthcare, and the only organization to offer hearing as a fully insured indemnity plan. More information is available at EPICHearing.com.

SOURCE EPIC Hearing Healthcare

Related Links

http://www.epichearing.com/