Stäfa, Switzerland, April 2007 - Phonak's new Audéo Personal Communication Assistant (PCA) is set to change the perception of hearing instruments forever. Developed to address the enormous potential of a virtually untapped market of first-time users, it comes with all the appeal of a must-have accessory.
The baby-boomers may be healthier, fitter and younger-looking than any generation before them, but they still experience mild to moderate hearing loss that goes with middle age. Most of them, however, are reluctant to get help. Extremely sensitive to the stigma of hearing instruments, they reject traditional models as an obvious sign of age and infirmity. Audéo is set to dispel those prejudices with an innovative blend of cutting-edge engineering and award-winning design that will give them effortless listening, even in the most difficult environments.
In the case of Audéo, less is definitely more. Very tiny, light and discreet, the device boasts the industry leading features that set Phonak apart: CrystalSound, which digitally amplifies the subtle, high-pitched sounds essential to understanding speech and ensures nothing gets lost, and digital SurroundZoom, the industry's best directional microphone system.
All this power is packed into a cool, Red Dot Design Award-winning form that brilliantly fuses style, ergonomics and practicality: the shape is designed to allow optimum placement of the dual microphones. As Phonak CEO Valentin Chapero says, "With Audéo, Phonak takes hearing instruments into another dimension. Our unique combination of state-of-the-art technology and cool design is going to change the way the world looks at our products."
It also means dispensers now have a great new product that will appeal to a huge, mostly untapped, market of younger potential customers who reject traditional products, as well as a full-featured product for existing clientele who want the very latest technology. "Combine this with a fresh and highly appealing advertising campaign," says Alexander Zschokke, Vice President Marketing, "and I think we can safely expect dispensers to be inundated with inquiries."
Available in two performance and price levels, Audéo comes in appealing color combinations ranging from subtle skin and hair tones to bold, modern hues and metallic finishes, with fitter-changeable color skins that create a look to suit each personality type.
Audéo at a glance
- Compelling blend of technology and design to overcome target group misconceptions
- CrystalSound - extended high-frequency amplification for clear understanding
- Digital SurroundZoom, the industry's best directional microphone system
- Unique shape optimizes dual microphone placement for best hearing solution in noise
Audéo Personal Communication Assistant (PCA) - better understanding by design
For more information, visit www.phonak.com
