Internet Growth Fuels Expansion of Cosmetic Surgery Marketing.EAST STROUDSBURG, PA.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 1999-- The following is an article by Barbara Stahura published in Entrepreneur Illustrated on thatlook.com The popularity of cosmetic, or plastic surgery, is growing exponentially. The trend offers no hint that this $10 billion annual market will slow anytime soon. According to recent surveys, 37 percent of women and 25 percent of men approve of cosmetic surgery cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes, such as the improvement of the appearance of the face by removing wrinkles or reshaping the nose. for themselves. But about 50 percent say, "Lack of money prevents surgery." So Gerard Powell, chief executive officer of thatlook.com (OTC OTC See: Over-the-counter. OTC See over-the-counter market (OTC). : LOOK) based in East Stroudsburg, PA., wants them to know that cosmetic surgery is not only for the wealthy. "The cost of most cosmetic surgeries is less than you would think," Powell, 35, says. "It averages only around $5000, or around $38 per week on a long-term payment plan." The 10 most popular plastic surgeries are liposuction Liposuction Definition Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty or suction-assisted lipectomy, is cosmetic surgery performed to remove unwanted deposits of fat from under the skin. , breast augmentation, eyelid eyelid /eye·lid/ (-lid) either of two movable folds (upper and lower) protecting the anterior surface of the eyeball. eye·lid or eye-lid n. , facelift, chemical peel chemical peel Chemexfoliation Dermatology A technique in which phenol or trichloroacetic acid–TCA is 'painted' on elderly sun-exposed skin covered by extensive premalignant actinic keratosis. See Actinic keratosis. Cf Laser resurfacing, Mohs' surgery. , nose, laser skin resurfacing Skin Resurfacing Definition Skin resurfacing employs a variety of techniques to change the surface texture and appearance of the skin. Common skin resurfacing techniques include chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser resurfacing. , tummy tuck tum·my tuck n. Abdominoplasty. Used informally. tummy tuck Abdominoplasty Cosmetic surgery A procedure in which a large horizontal ellipse of skin and fat is excised from the anterior lower abdomen, and an upper , forehead lift, and breast lift. In 1994, he created a medical marketing management company now called thatlook.com to serve a dual purpose. First, it informs the public about the true cost of cosmetic surgical procedures and pre-qualifies prospective patients for a long-term payment plan. Second, it acts as a national, outsource marketing firm for plastic surgeons, who ordinarily do not have the collective marketing power and expertise thatlook.com can provide. "Cosmetic surgery is no longer a luxury item." Gerard Powell, thatlook.com At first, Powell advertised only on radio and television. Growth was steady. After adding a Website in April 1999, he expects the Internet to fuel major growth and to significantly reduce media expenses. thatlook.com's highly-trained sales representatives guide purchase-minded individuals through financial pre-qualification and connect them with one of the plastic surgeons on thatlook.com's roster of doctors, all of whom are board certified board certified, adj the status of a dental specialist such as an orthodontist who has become a board diplomate by successfully completing the certification program of the recognized certification board in that area of practice. . "We train our sales representatives very well," says Powell. "This is not something you can just contract out and expect anyone to do. We offer lots of personal service, and guide prospective patients through the procedure. We help them qualify financially for a long-term payment plan, and we even follow-up after the surgery." Prospective patients who use thatlook.com's service receive a free surgical consultation, worth $250. Their monthly payments for cosmetic surgery are extremely low. As The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times recently wrote, "thatlook.com offers noses on layaway An agreement between a retail seller and a consumer that provides that the seller will retain designated consumer goods for sale to the consumer at a specified price on a future date, if the consumer deposits with the seller an agreed upon sum of money. ; $35 a week for a standard $5,000 procedure." The company is "crystallizing a huge latent demand" for cosmetic surgery, says Powell. Adding the Website to radio and television campaigns, he believes, will help annual revenues triple. thatlook.com's 103 employees currently generate around $7 million in annualized annualized Of or relating to a variable that has been mathematically converted to a yearly rate. Inflation and interest rates are generally annualized since it is on this basis that these two variables are ordinarily stated and compared. revenues, primarily from marketing service doctor fees and from fees on patient loans. As revenue increases, overall costs are not expected to increase much because the infrastructure is already in place. The media cost percentage of revenue is expected to decrease because Internet advertising is substantially less expensive for thatlook.com than traditional broadcast media. "Cosmetic surgery is no longer a luxury item," says Powell. "We're helping many people achieve their dreams -- by providing personal service and monthly payment plans for plastic surgery." About thatlook.com Thatlook.com is a direct response, marketing services company serving a network of physicians that specialize in performing elective, cosmetic procedures. Using a combined, multimedia approach, including the Internet, television, radio, print and direct mail, thatlook.com generates financially-qualified, and purchase-minded patient traffic to its network of member physicians. thatlook.com's (OTC: LOOK) Internet Web site is http://www.thatlook.com. Investor relations Investor relations The process by which the corporation communicates with its investors. information is at http://www.thatlook.com/investor_main.html. This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove correct. |
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