CoralVue_Marketing
One minute of patience, ten years of peace.
I believe we'll know US pricing next week, but don't hold me to it. September is a safe bet for a US release, but personally I think it will be a lot sooner. We'll know more very soon. It's crazy the impact the Coronavirus has had. We thought they would be hanging over reef tanks in the US by now.
The factory location where the lights are built is beginning to operate at capacity after a hiatus from stay-at-home mandates. But the CoralCare isn't the only Philips product manufactured at that facility. They also have to launch the lights in Europe first.
The CoralCare has its own business development team at Philips/Signify. We've met with them every Thursday since March 12. The CoralCare team requested the Gen2 be a priority production. Bear in mind Philips/Signify is a 100+ year old company and the global leader in LED solutions, systems, and services. As you might imagine, CoralVue is not privvy to the company's broader priorities or anything else outside the scope of the CoralCare and its patents.
I would give the CoralCare team an A+ at keeping us apprised of what's going on. Some weeks we communicate daily. I've been impressed by their intelligence and professionalism since the first meeting. It's been an honor to work with and learn from them.
I believe we're about to make history. Certainly as far as the reef aquarium industry/hobby is concerned. But I think there are bigger implications.
For example, there is a pharmaceutical company in France growing corals that Philips works with. The samples they take from the corals are used to develop cancer treatments.
Since the light is UL Listed and IP65-rated, the Gen2 (like the Gen1 before it in Europe) can actually be used by zoos, public aquariums, museums, etc. Funding for these types of institutions is always limited, yet they play an important role in educating the public about the life on our planet and how important it is to protect it.
Saving money on energy and bulb replacements while reducing waste is a win for everyone. The fact that the CoralCare Gen1 was scientifically proven by an independent research firm to grow corals equal to T5 with better coloration should help make the decision to change (where applicable) a no-brainer.
I asked our main contact at Philips the first time we met if I could talk to the researcher of the report I linked to above. I was given the impression he was a busy man and I should not disturb him. Philips didn't even supply me with his contact information to try! But I was determined to talk to this dude. I wanted to verify he was legit and that his discoveries are factual.
So I conducted my own research of the researcher. Conclusion: He is real and totally legit. I even tracked down an email address for him. But I second-guessed my instincts and didn't contact him for a couple of weeks. I didn't want to betray the trust of an important new business partner by ignoring their wishes. While I have a journalistic background, I am not a journalist. I feared he would think my contacting him to substantiate claims we will make in our marketing would be seen as intrusive. I imagined him sneering at his monitor, furiously pounding his keyboard. "How did you get my email address?!" he would demand.
Fate intervened in the form of @Dana Riddle. Which is interesting because I don't know Dana. I mean, not personally. We've never met in real life. But I know who is. I'd read his articles on Advanced Aquarist for over a decade. The only time we'd ever spoken was one year ago—right before I came to CoralVue. I messaged him on R2R to ask if he would fact check a script for a Marine Depot video. He graciously agreed to help a complete stranger and the video was well-received.
We did not speak again until recently. He was interested in the US release date for the Gen2. At some point during our exchanges, I told him about the researcher I had cold feet contacting. He surprised me and said they were chat buddies on Facebook Messenger. He gave me a better way to reach him. Dana even said I could name drop him as the mutual acquaintance who connected us.
Long story short, the researcher didn't stonewall me. He was an open book. I wanted to believe the hype before, but he made me a true believer. I'll share his research, coral lab photos, and excerpts of our conversation later. He may even appear on a future CoralVue live video with us to discuss his work, schedule permitting.
The icing on the cake is that Dana will be independently testing the Gen2 himself. We're not paying him to do it. We're not giving him products or perks to do it. To be honest, I don't even know what tests he intends to perform! Philips donated a CoralCare to the the Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society in Minnesota for a research program they are spearheading (and other clubs should totally emulate). The researcher they selected to test lighting was Dana!
When I told Philips it would be Dana testing the CoralCare along with the Radion and other high-end LED lights, they didn't bat an eye. In fact, they were super gung-ho about it. I think that's a good sign.
CoralCare's lead developer is a reefer himself. He is also a member here! You can hear his story soon on the Reef News Network podcast.
Even better, R2R will be hosting a giveaway for a CoralCare pretty soon. One of the entry requirements is to ask Luc a question about the light. He'll post his answers right in the giveaway thread... so they'll be a HUGE repository of FAQs to help the community.
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