Todd Zavodnick takes the reins as President, International for ZELTIQ® and Wendy Lewis sat down with him at the AAD 2016 in Washington DC to find out how he plans to make Coolsculpting a household name across the globe.
In January 2016, Todd Zavodnick took on a new role as the President, International for ZELTIQ, the company behind the success of Coolsculpting®, after serving as President and General Manager for Galderma Laboratories, North America. Prior to that, Mr. Zavodnick led commercial organizations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America for both Alcon and Galderma, so he is no stranger to managing international teams. In this new role, he is responsible for driving the company’s international growth and expansion. In 2015, Coolsculpting’s business was 76% from North America and 24% international, so he has his work cut out for him but the future looks promising.
One thing that is indisputable about the success of Coolsculpting is their tireless pursuit of brand control that has set a new industry standard. From ‘Treatment to Transformation’ to ‘Coolsculpting University’ or CSU for short, to their relentless pursuit of counterfeit devices, knock-offs and illegal importation, to their prowess in direct to consumer marketing, the ZELTIQ team has moved the needle in the minimally invasive body contouring category.
With Mr. Zavodnick at the helm of their commercial efforts in the rest of the world, CoolSculpting is certainly well positioned to build a differentiated and sustainable franchise in the aesthetic marketplace.
What were the main attractions for you to move from pharmaceuticals to medical devices and join the ZELTIQ team?
TZ: In my 20 year professional career, my work has spanned medical device, pharmaceutical, and consumer industries. I have worked at Alcon, the leader in ophthalmology, Galderma, the leader in skin health, and now I am with ZELTIQ®, the leader in non-invasive body contouring. My experiences have led to a strong passion for aesthetics and working hard to provide solutions that empower patients to achieve the best version of themselves.
I see tremendous opportunity with CoolSculpting and its ability to help patients achieve their body contouring goals with full Treatment to Transformation™. In fact, our ‘Fear No Mirror®’ marketing campaign executes on the universal insight of how consumers feel when they see a reflection of themselves, and the insight that people want to be happy with the way they look in clothing.
What are your observations of the trends in the globalization of medical aesthetics?
TZ: Over the past two decades I have been fortunate to work across all continents of the world, leading global business and gaining a deep understanding of the overall aesthetic marketplace from both professional and consumer perspectives. A key observation is that, regardless of what region of the world you are in, there is a large and expanding population of both men and women seeking invasive and non-invasive procedures to achieve the best version of themselves. The growth of this demand is unstoppable. We have data that shows that 29 million people in the US alone have expressed interest in minimally invasive body contouring.
We continue to see increased education, awareness, and overall acceptance of all types of procedures, especially with social media and the age of the selfie. Another interesting point is the skyrocketing popularity of non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures. In every country of the world, patients want results with no downtime. I am confident we will continue to see massive growth of these types of procedures in the years to come.
What are some of the challenges and opportunities facing ZELTIQ’s expansion globally?
TZ: There are numerous opportunities within the international marketplace. Over 6.7 billion people reside outside of the United States, and many of them express an interest in body contouring and are seeking non-invasive fat reduction. Key aesthetic markets globally, including South Korea, Japan, China, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico continue to lead the way in many invasive and non-invasive procedures. All of these countries have a place for CoolSculpting within their treatment repertoire. China alone has 1.2 billion people and represents a huge aesthetic market. Lumenis is our partner in Australia and China and we anticipate approval in China very soon.
We will continue to take the best practices established within our organization and continue to ‘glocalize’ (Think global, act local) them for each marketplace, while respecting media, business, and cultural variations. In my view, things are actually more similar than they are dissimilar. Our opportunities far outweigh the challenges within the international marketplace. However, our biggest challenge will simply be prioritization and overall resource allocation against the proper initiatives in the right order. There is much to do for CoolSculpting and the global brand.
Can you share your key strategic initiatives for success in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions?
TZ: As I explained, we will continue to deliver CoolSculpting best practices in a ‘glocalized’ manner to fit the international marketplace — marquee ZELTIQ programs such as CoolSculpting University (a comprehensive 2 day training program) and Crystal Rewards® (a program that rewards distinguished practices with benefits based on purchases), just to name a few of many. The key for our international expansion and overall growth will not simply be installing more systems in each country, but more specifically ensuring that each install comes along with our unique service and care from Practice Development Managers (PDMs). The PDM is a key differentiator separating us from our competitors. Experienced in staff training, aesthetic medical marketing, and patient relations, PDMs are able to tailor a marketing and business development plan to meet the unique needs of each CoolSculpting practice and clinic. The company is committed to ensuring practices learn and adopt our key ‘Five Steps to CoolSculpting Success’ program (a proven strategy for CoolSculpting success), as well as provide true ‘Treatment to Transformation’ for each and every one of their patients to optimize outcomes. This combination will be instrumental as we continue to grow globally.
What can we look forward to in the near future within the minimally invasive body contouring segment?
TZ: ZELTIQ recently announced the exciting new launch of a new family of applicators called CoolAdvantage™. The CoolAdvantage applicator delivers the proprietary CoolSculpting cooling technology at a lower temperature, reducing treatment time in nearly half, and features an adaptable 3-in-1 configuration and enhanced cup design. The new applicator cup shape led to a 45% increase in comfort during the treatment, which is already considered very tolerable by most patients.
Internationally, we continue to launch the CoolMini™ applicator, which is designed to treat smaller pockets of fat, including the submental or double chin area. To be able to offer the first ever completely non-invasive solution for the double chin is a game changer for the industry. We are also focused on the CoolSmooth PRO™ applicator, a second-generation surface applicator that features non-vacuum based cooling to treat non-pinchable fat bulges such as the outer thigh.
Beyond continually innovating the CoolSculpting technology for non-invasive fat reduction, ZELTIQ is exploring cooling for other aesthetic solutions. This means investing in R&D to develop a robust product pipeline to ensure ZELTIQ remains a global leader in the aesthetic space. We want to grow the consumer market and open it up to the masses. ZELTIQ is leading the way to making body the new face.
For more information, visit: coolsculpting.com
