(FONR) NEWS: FONAR Expands National Ad Campaign for Its Stand-Up MRI; Media Blitz In Six Major U.S. Cities Now Underway
MELVILLE, N.Y., Aug 15, 2002 (BW HealthWire) -- FONAR Corporation
(NASDAQ-FONR), The MRI Specialist(TM), announced today that it has expanded its
national marketing plan for its Stand-Up MRI(TM) into six more major cities. The
Company has added advertising on major talk radio programs and has placed
billboard ads in the Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston and
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale areas.
The radio ads for the Stand-Up MRI(TM) are running on the highest-rated
talk/news stations in each city - KNX (1070 AM) Los Angeles, WSB (750 AM)
Atlanta, WBZ (1030 AM) Boston, WLS (890 AM) Chicago, KTRH (740 AM) Houston, and
WIOD (610 AM) in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area.
The billboard ads have been placed on major arterial routes in each market -
I-465, the San Diego Freeway in Los Angeles, I-75 in Atlanta, I-95 at Rt. 1 in
Boston, I-294 in Chicago, North Loop 610 in Houston, and I-95 in the Miami/Ft.
Lauderdale area. The average number of vehicles passing these billboards each
day is in excess of 125,000.
Since January of this year, the Company's marketing effort has been focused on
the metropolitan New York area. "The Stand-Up MRI(TM) is an extraordinarily
'visual' product," says Raymond V. Damadian, M.D., president and chairman of
FONAR Corporation. "Once the consumer has seen it, he has a permanent visual
memory. He's never seen another MRI that compares to it. All we have to do is
show it to the community - patients and referring doctors alike. They
immediately recognize its advantages. The general public sees for themselves an
MRI scanner that's really open - where there is nothing in front of their faces
but a TV. And, at the same time, physicians appreciate the fact that, for the
first time, they can evaluate their patients in full weight- bearing positions
and in the very positions in which they are symptomatic. This is why the ad
campaign here in the New York area has been a huge success. Whether it's a talk
radio host explaining the product, or a video clip showing what it's like,
people can see it for themselves."
Dr. Damadian explained. "We upgraded our Islandia MRI scanning center with a
Stand-Up MRI(TM) at beginning of the year. We've been regularly scanning 20
patients a day for months, which is triple the patient volume we had before the
upgrade - and we now have a five-day backlog." The Stand-Up MRI(TM) in Islandia,
New York is managed by FONAR's subsidiary, Health Management Corporation of
America (HMCA), a physician and diagnostic services management company.
"We need to get the message out to as many people as soon as possible. The six
cities we've expanded into are among the most populated in the country. We
expect this new phase of our marketing effort to generate much sales activity in
some very important areas of the country," said Dr. Damadian.
The Stand-Up MRI(TM) is the only whole-body MRI in the industry that can scan
patients standing or sitting, as well as in horizontal positions. All other
whole-body MRIs can only scan patients lying in a horizontal position.
The Stand-Up MRI(TM) is now the best selling unit in the FONAR product line.
Be sure to visit FONAR's Web site for Company product and investor information.
www.fonar.com
This release may include forward-looking statements from the company that may or
may not materialize. Additional information on factors that could potentially
affect the company's financial results may be found in the company's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: FONAR Corporation, Melville, 631/694-2929
Daniel Culver, Director of Communications
David Terry, VP, Secretary
Fax: 631/390-9540
E-Mail: FONARinvestor@fonar.com |
