ALEXANDRIA, VA— The Vision Council has been awarded the 2015 Gold Quill Award for its media relations efforts to educate on the issue of Digital Eye Strain. The Award recognizes business communication excellence globally and is presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

“We had consistent feedback from evaluators that this year they were seeing some of the best work they’d seen in years,” said Priya Bates ABC MC, 2015 International Gold Quill Chair. “We’re thrilled to see the industry embracing the significant impact communicators can have on business outcome. Gold Quill sets out to recognize communication that meets a business need – either solving a problem, working through an issue, or maximizing an opportunity. It’s not just about attractive execution; we look for the strategic impact.”

Since The Vision Council’s establishment of the term “Digital Eye Strain,” they have worked to increase awareness of the condition, as well as the use and availability of computer eyewear. In support of this mission, The Vision Council developed the report: “DigitEYEzed: The Daily Impact of Digital Screens on the Eye Health of Americans.”

To further spread the importance of the combating Digital Eye Strain as well as the report, The Vision Council developed a presence at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for the report’s release. In addition to this, The Vision Council and its consumer media relations partner, GYMR, launched a print, online and broadcast media plan to reach reporters in both online and print media. These efforts yielded more than 1,200 stores and 848.6 million media impressions.

“Digital devices now permeate virtually every aspect of American life,” said Mike Daley, The Vision Council CEO. “We discovered that fewer than one in five adults were aware of Digital Eye Strain, which refers to the temporary discomfort experienced during prolonged use of digital devices, and The Vision Council saw a clear need to increase consumer awareness about the condition and how they can prevent it.”

Other winners of the 2015 Gold Quill Award include Intel Corporation, General Mills, eBay, Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Allstate Insurance.