Mineral Body Wrap Help Take Inches Off Your Body
Bandages Form Extreme Thermal Blanket, Causing Excessive Perspiration And Massive Water Loss
Warning: Solution Is Only Temporary & Not For Everyone
NEW YORK (CBS) ― Lose weight immediately without diet or exercise. If that sounds impossible CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City has the skinny on a new way to drop inches in an hour.
How do they do it? Celebrities seem to just whittle away overnight and fit into those beautiful, designer awards show gowns. Is it genetics? Surgery? Are they working out around the clock or do the stars have another slenderizing secret?
"It's literally going to take you down to that slimming size," said Krista DeLuca of the Cornelia Spa Resort in Manhattan.
It's called a body wrap and while it's been a staple spa treatment to help moisturize and soften skin, it's now being touted as a sort of shrink wrap too.
"I'm looking to lose some inches and tighten up a bit," Cleola Williams said.
Imagine dropping two dress sizes in less time than it takes to eat lunch. Williams says she did just that at "Let's Get Slender" in Bergenfield, N.J.
When asked how many inches she lost the last time, Williams said, "About 10."
Ten inches, without diet or exercise, in one hour.
"I've got a hot date coming up," Sasha Ramnarace said at Cornelia, where she is hoping for similar results. "I'm not one that usually goes for quick fixes, but I've heard other clients say really good things."
The secret is out about body wraps. While they vary depending on the spa, the treatment involves being wrapped snuggly in mineral soaked bandages to create a thermal blanket. The goal? To get you to sweat and shed fluid found in the small spaces of your body tissue. At Cornelia, technicians apply a mixture of algae and heat.
"What the algae does is it sets in her skin and it literally takes out the extra water weight," explained DeLuca.
"When you create a condition where you perspire a lot, you will lose weight," said Carla Wolper of the Obesity Research Center at St. Luke's Hospital.
But this quick fix, she says, is not the best way to go about dropping a couple of dress sizes because you're not actually losing fat. She also warns of a possible side effect like dehydration.
"It will return immediately because the body regulates water balance very carefully," said Wolper.
Back at the spa, Williams is getting her third body wrap and is hoping for the same results.
"I promised myself after this I will be exercising to keep it off," said Williams.
Meanwhile, Ramnarace lost a total of three inches after her treatment.
"Now I can put on my little black dress and feel even more confident," she said.
Now the results don't last forever. Your best-case scenario is about a week and the cost of this quick fix, depending on the spa, can start at about $125.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
As Economy Slows, So Do Laser Eye Surgeries
April 23, 2008
By BARNABY J. FEDER
Call it the Lasik indicator. As the economic downturn forces consumers to cut back on discretionary spending, laser vision-correction surgeries have been falling — as they did during the last recession.
Although more than 800,000 Americans got Lasik surgery in 2007, a slight increase from 2006, the numbers started slumping along with the economy in the second half of last year. And industry analysts are now seeing a Lasik recession.
“We’re forecasting a 17 percent drop for 2008,” said David Harmon, president of Market Scope, an eye surgery market research house.
Mr. Harmon said that when first-quarter data become available next month, he expects it to show an even sharper decline in Lasik surgeries than in 2001, when the sour economy triggered a three-year slump in the laser procedures, which are typically not covered by insurance.
Lasik — for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis — typically costs anywhere from $800 to $3,000 or more an eye.
Mr. Harmon’s forecast is based on the relatively strong correlation in recent years between Lasik procedures and the Conference Board’s index of consumer confidence in the economy.
Doctors and analysts said a wide range of elective medical procedures, including breast implants and skin treatments like Botox injections, are also being affected.
“People are just being a little more conservative about their finances,” said Dr. Robert Cykiert, a New York ophthalmologist who does both eye surgery and Botox injections.
In the case of Botox, for example, Dr. Cykiert’s existing patients are not spacing out their treatments but some who are interested have been hesitant to start, he said.
So far, though, Lasik procedures are the most evidently affected.
Still uncertain is the extent to which, beyond economic considerations, the Lasik downturn may also reflect the growing number of complaints about poor results from the procedures. Federal regulators have received reports about dry eyes, double vision and distorted night vision, among other things. And numerous blog sites carry sobering tales of more serious eye damage or cases where vision improvements seemed to disappear within a few years.
Those concerns will be reviewed Friday at a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory board on ophthalmic devices. The panel is also expected to consider proposing a major new study on Lasik outcomes.
The F.D.A. is also asking the panel to suggest ways to get more doctors, patients and hospitals to report problems stemming from laser surgery or lens implants. One goal cited in documents the agency published Wednesday is to gather more Lasik data through SightNet, an online network of ophthalmologists who are voluntarily linked to the agency’s Medical Product Safety Network.
Lasik involves cutting a flap in the surface of the cornea to gain access to the central portion of that natural lens, which is then reshaped by the laser. Lasik can reduce or in many cases eliminate nearsightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism.
Lasik practitioners say a recent analysis of past studies showed 95 percent satisfaction rates, regardless of whether the data is arranged to compare patients in the United States to overseas, procedures before and after 2000, short-term or long-term results or anonymous versus identified patients. But with 12 million patients having undergone the procedure in the United States since 1995 when it was first approved, the sheer number of individuals with unhappy outcomes is growing steadily, and more of their stories are gaining public attention.
“My eyes are damaged beyond repair,” Pamela C. Barncastle, 62, of Albuquerque, N.M., said in a phone interview. Mrs. Barncastle said she underwent the surgery in 2001 but now suffers double vision, as well as seeing halos and spikey bursts of blurred light at night that prevent her from driving then.
She said she needed to undergo a corneal transplant, which would be paid for by a settlement with her doctor. But she said that for now she is living with her vision problems because she is the sole caregiver for her father and her husband, an Alzheimer’s patient.
Mrs. Barncastle said she was also worried about the large number of Lasik patients she has talked to who seem to be developing cataracts. “There needs to be a lot more monitoring of the industry and studies of the long-term effects,” she said.
Publicity about the complaints being aired at the F.D.A. panel hearing Friday could hit the shares of Advanced Medical Optics, which gets just over a third of its revenue from the sale of lasers and related gear used in the surgery, said Lawrence Biegelsen, a medical device analyst for Wachovia Capital Markets.
The growing attention to unhappy Lasik outcomes is also bad news for companies that operate chains of laser surgery centers, like LCA-Vision and TLC Vision, which have already seen their stocks pummeled by declines in procedure at the end of last year that they attributed to the economy.
No immediate action is expected from the F.D.A. In the last year, the agency has been working with the National Eye Institute, American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, and American Academy of Ophthalmology to design a trial that will track patients who undergo Lasik or get implanted contact lenses. Most past studies have focused on the degree of vision correction attained and medical complications like infection rather than everyday vision issues like night vision and contrast that can affect quality of life.
Medical complications are now below 1 percent, an all-time low, according to Dr. Kerry Solomon, the co-chairman of the committee trying to develop the study design. “But there haven’t been a lot of good quality of life studies,” said Dr. Solomon, who is a professor of ophthalmology at the Medical University of South Carolina.
One result of the study might be to further clarify which patients are not good candidates for Lasik, he said.
By BARNABY J. FEDER
Call it the Lasik indicator. As the economic downturn forces consumers to cut back on discretionary spending, laser vision-correction surgeries have been falling — as they did during the last recession.
Although more than 800,000 Americans got Lasik surgery in 2007, a slight increase from 2006, the numbers started slumping along with the economy in the second half of last year. And industry analysts are now seeing a Lasik recession.
“We’re forecasting a 17 percent drop for 2008,” said David Harmon, president of Market Scope, an eye surgery market research house.
Mr. Harmon said that when first-quarter data become available next month, he expects it to show an even sharper decline in Lasik surgeries than in 2001, when the sour economy triggered a three-year slump in the laser procedures, which are typically not covered by insurance.
Lasik — for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis — typically costs anywhere from $800 to $3,000 or more an eye.
Mr. Harmon’s forecast is based on the relatively strong correlation in recent years between Lasik procedures and the Conference Board’s index of consumer confidence in the economy.
Doctors and analysts said a wide range of elective medical procedures, including breast implants and skin treatments like Botox injections, are also being affected.
“People are just being a little more conservative about their finances,” said Dr. Robert Cykiert, a New York ophthalmologist who does both eye surgery and Botox injections.
In the case of Botox, for example, Dr. Cykiert’s existing patients are not spacing out their treatments but some who are interested have been hesitant to start, he said.
So far, though, Lasik procedures are the most evidently affected.
Still uncertain is the extent to which, beyond economic considerations, the Lasik downturn may also reflect the growing number of complaints about poor results from the procedures. Federal regulators have received reports about dry eyes, double vision and distorted night vision, among other things. And numerous blog sites carry sobering tales of more serious eye damage or cases where vision improvements seemed to disappear within a few years.
Those concerns will be reviewed Friday at a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory board on ophthalmic devices. The panel is also expected to consider proposing a major new study on Lasik outcomes.
The F.D.A. is also asking the panel to suggest ways to get more doctors, patients and hospitals to report problems stemming from laser surgery or lens implants. One goal cited in documents the agency published Wednesday is to gather more Lasik data through SightNet, an online network of ophthalmologists who are voluntarily linked to the agency’s Medical Product Safety Network.
Lasik involves cutting a flap in the surface of the cornea to gain access to the central portion of that natural lens, which is then reshaped by the laser. Lasik can reduce or in many cases eliminate nearsightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism.
Lasik practitioners say a recent analysis of past studies showed 95 percent satisfaction rates, regardless of whether the data is arranged to compare patients in the United States to overseas, procedures before and after 2000, short-term or long-term results or anonymous versus identified patients. But with 12 million patients having undergone the procedure in the United States since 1995 when it was first approved, the sheer number of individuals with unhappy outcomes is growing steadily, and more of their stories are gaining public attention.
“My eyes are damaged beyond repair,” Pamela C. Barncastle, 62, of Albuquerque, N.M., said in a phone interview. Mrs. Barncastle said she underwent the surgery in 2001 but now suffers double vision, as well as seeing halos and spikey bursts of blurred light at night that prevent her from driving then.
She said she needed to undergo a corneal transplant, which would be paid for by a settlement with her doctor. But she said that for now she is living with her vision problems because she is the sole caregiver for her father and her husband, an Alzheimer’s patient.
Mrs. Barncastle said she was also worried about the large number of Lasik patients she has talked to who seem to be developing cataracts. “There needs to be a lot more monitoring of the industry and studies of the long-term effects,” she said.
Publicity about the complaints being aired at the F.D.A. panel hearing Friday could hit the shares of Advanced Medical Optics, which gets just over a third of its revenue from the sale of lasers and related gear used in the surgery, said Lawrence Biegelsen, a medical device analyst for Wachovia Capital Markets.
The growing attention to unhappy Lasik outcomes is also bad news for companies that operate chains of laser surgery centers, like LCA-Vision and TLC Vision, which have already seen their stocks pummeled by declines in procedure at the end of last year that they attributed to the economy.
No immediate action is expected from the F.D.A. In the last year, the agency has been working with the National Eye Institute, American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, and American Academy of Ophthalmology to design a trial that will track patients who undergo Lasik or get implanted contact lenses. Most past studies have focused on the degree of vision correction attained and medical complications like infection rather than everyday vision issues like night vision and contrast that can affect quality of life.
Medical complications are now below 1 percent, an all-time low, according to Dr. Kerry Solomon, the co-chairman of the committee trying to develop the study design. “But there haven’t been a lot of good quality of life studies,” said Dr. Solomon, who is a professor of ophthalmology at the Medical University of South Carolina.
One result of the study might be to further clarify which patients are not good candidates for Lasik, he said.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
brown patches
Melasma
http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_melasma.html
Melasma is a skin condition presenting as brown patches on the face of adults. Both sides of the face are usually affected. The most common sites of involvement are the cheeks, bridge of nose, forehead, and upper lip.
Who gets melasma?
Melasma mostly occurs in women. Only 10% of those affected are men. Dark-skinned races, particularly Hispanics, Asians, Indians, people from the Middle East, and Northern Africa, tend to have melasma more than others.
What causes melasma?
The precise cause of melasma is unknown. People with a family history of melasma are more likely to develop melasma themselves. A change in hormonal status may trigger melasma. It is commonly associated with pregnancy and called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." Birth control pills may also cause melasma, however, hormone replacement therapy used after menopause has not been shown to cause the condition.
Melasma of forehead, cheeks, nose, upper lip and chin
Sun exposure contributes to melasma. Ultraviolet light from the sun, and even very strong light from light bulbs, can stimulate pigment-producing cells, or melanocytes in the skin. People with skin of color have more active melanocytes than those with light skin. These melanocytes produce a large amount of pigment under normal conditions, but this production increases even further when stimulated by light exposure or an increase in hormone levels. Incidental exposure to the sun is mainly the reason for recurrences of melasma.
UV photograph, which enhances pigmentation,
showing melasma of cheeks and forehead
Any irritation of the skin may cause an increase in pigmentation in dark-skinned individuals, which may also worsen melasma. Melasma is not associated with any internal diseases or organ malfunction.
How is melasma diagnosed?
Because melasma is common, and has a characteristic appearance on the face, most patients can be diagnosed simply by a skin examination. Occasionally a skin biopsy is necessary to differentiate melasma from other conditions.
Melasma of forehead
How is it treated?
While there is no cure for melasma, many treatments have been developed. Melasma may disappear after pregnancy, it may remain for many years, or a lifetime.
Sunscreens are essential in the treatment of melasma. They should be broad spectrum, protecting against both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. A SPF 30 or higher should be selected. In addition, physical sunblock lotions and creams such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide, may be used to block ultraviolet radiation and visible light. Sunscreens should be worn daily, whether or not it is sunny outside, or if you are outdoors or indoors. A significant amount of ultraviolet rays is received while walking down the street, driving in cars, and sitting next to windows.
Any facial cleansers, creams, or make-up which irritates the skin should be stopped, as this may worsen the melasma. If melasma develops after starting birth control pills, it may improve after discontinuing them. Melasma can be treatedwith bleaching creams while continuing the birth control pills.
A variety of bleaching creams are available for the treatment of melasma. These creams do not "bleach" the skin by destroying the melanocytes, but rather, decrease the activity of these pigment-producing cells. Over-the-counter creams contain low concentrations of hydroquinone, the most commonly-used depigmenting agent. This is often effective for mild forms of melasma when used twice daily. A dermatologist may prescribe creams with higher concentrations of hydroquinone. Normally, it takes about three months to substantially improve melasma. Creams containing tretinoin, steroids, and glycolic acid are available in combination with hydroquinone to enhance the depigmenting effect. Other medications which have been found to help melasma are azelaic acid and kojic acid. It is important to follow the directions of your dermatologist carefully in order to get the maximum benefit from your treatment regimen and to avoid irritation and other side effects. Remember, a sunscreen should be applied daily in addition to the bleaching cream. Some bleaching creams are combined with a sunscreen.
Melasma on bridge of nose
Chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and laser surgery may help melasma, but results have not been consistent. These procedures have the potential of causing irritation, which can sometimes worsen melasma. Generally, they should only be used by a dermatologist in conjunction with a proper regimen of bleaching creams and prescription creams tailored to your skin type. People should be cautioned against non-physicians claiming to treat melasma without supervision because complications can occur.
Management of melasma requires a comprehensive and professional approach by your dermatologist. Avoidance of sun and irritants, use of sunscreens, application of depigmenting agents, and close supervision by your dermatologist can lead to a successful outcome.
To learn more about mature skin, call toll free (888) 462-DERM (3376) to find a dermatologist in your area.
AAD Web site: www.aad.org
1-888-462-DERM
http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_melasma.html
Melasma is a skin condition presenting as brown patches on the face of adults. Both sides of the face are usually affected. The most common sites of involvement are the cheeks, bridge of nose, forehead, and upper lip.
Who gets melasma?
Melasma mostly occurs in women. Only 10% of those affected are men. Dark-skinned races, particularly Hispanics, Asians, Indians, people from the Middle East, and Northern Africa, tend to have melasma more than others.
What causes melasma?
The precise cause of melasma is unknown. People with a family history of melasma are more likely to develop melasma themselves. A change in hormonal status may trigger melasma. It is commonly associated with pregnancy and called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." Birth control pills may also cause melasma, however, hormone replacement therapy used after menopause has not been shown to cause the condition.
Melasma of forehead, cheeks, nose, upper lip and chin
Sun exposure contributes to melasma. Ultraviolet light from the sun, and even very strong light from light bulbs, can stimulate pigment-producing cells, or melanocytes in the skin. People with skin of color have more active melanocytes than those with light skin. These melanocytes produce a large amount of pigment under normal conditions, but this production increases even further when stimulated by light exposure or an increase in hormone levels. Incidental exposure to the sun is mainly the reason for recurrences of melasma.
UV photograph, which enhances pigmentation,
showing melasma of cheeks and forehead
Any irritation of the skin may cause an increase in pigmentation in dark-skinned individuals, which may also worsen melasma. Melasma is not associated with any internal diseases or organ malfunction.
How is melasma diagnosed?
Because melasma is common, and has a characteristic appearance on the face, most patients can be diagnosed simply by a skin examination. Occasionally a skin biopsy is necessary to differentiate melasma from other conditions.
Melasma of forehead
How is it treated?
While there is no cure for melasma, many treatments have been developed. Melasma may disappear after pregnancy, it may remain for many years, or a lifetime.
Sunscreens are essential in the treatment of melasma. They should be broad spectrum, protecting against both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. A SPF 30 or higher should be selected. In addition, physical sunblock lotions and creams such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide, may be used to block ultraviolet radiation and visible light. Sunscreens should be worn daily, whether or not it is sunny outside, or if you are outdoors or indoors. A significant amount of ultraviolet rays is received while walking down the street, driving in cars, and sitting next to windows.
Any facial cleansers, creams, or make-up which irritates the skin should be stopped, as this may worsen the melasma. If melasma develops after starting birth control pills, it may improve after discontinuing them. Melasma can be treatedwith bleaching creams while continuing the birth control pills.
A variety of bleaching creams are available for the treatment of melasma. These creams do not "bleach" the skin by destroying the melanocytes, but rather, decrease the activity of these pigment-producing cells. Over-the-counter creams contain low concentrations of hydroquinone, the most commonly-used depigmenting agent. This is often effective for mild forms of melasma when used twice daily. A dermatologist may prescribe creams with higher concentrations of hydroquinone. Normally, it takes about three months to substantially improve melasma. Creams containing tretinoin, steroids, and glycolic acid are available in combination with hydroquinone to enhance the depigmenting effect. Other medications which have been found to help melasma are azelaic acid and kojic acid. It is important to follow the directions of your dermatologist carefully in order to get the maximum benefit from your treatment regimen and to avoid irritation and other side effects. Remember, a sunscreen should be applied daily in addition to the bleaching cream. Some bleaching creams are combined with a sunscreen.
Melasma on bridge of nose
Chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and laser surgery may help melasma, but results have not been consistent. These procedures have the potential of causing irritation, which can sometimes worsen melasma. Generally, they should only be used by a dermatologist in conjunction with a proper regimen of bleaching creams and prescription creams tailored to your skin type. People should be cautioned against non-physicians claiming to treat melasma without supervision because complications can occur.
Management of melasma requires a comprehensive and professional approach by your dermatologist. Avoidance of sun and irritants, use of sunscreens, application of depigmenting agents, and close supervision by your dermatologist can lead to a successful outcome.
To learn more about mature skin, call toll free (888) 462-DERM (3376) to find a dermatologist in your area.
AAD Web site: www.aad.org
1-888-462-DERM
Friday, March 14, 2008
Selling Luxury to Everyone
April 18, 2005
Julie Jette
Executive Summary:
Few retailing segments have been as hot in the past several years as luxury goods. Even as middle-priced stores have struggled, luxury goods and luxury brands have, in many cases, outperformed the rest of retail. How?
Luxury is the new essential. Consumers know it and retailers are reaping the bounty.
"Simultaneous with that, there's all kinds of change," Koehn said, noting "the extraordinary redefining of luxury by established middle-market and even lower-market players." For example, she said, "eight years ago, Starbucks was a luxury game on the east coast. . . . Now, Starbucks is daily standard operating procedure—a mass business."
"The tectonic plates that define luxury are shifting," she said.
Panelist Rory Tahari, creative director and brand designer for Elie Tahari, Ltd.—and wife of designer Elie Tahari—said she saw a clear trend toward higher expectations from consumers in the fashion industry. "We're experiencing ourselves a tremendous amount of growth right now," she said. "The consumer really wants highly designed garments at an affordable price."
Tyler Morse, president of Bliss, an upscale spa and beauty company purchased by Starwood Resorts and Hotels in 2004, said that even in a recession consumers will splurge on luxury items, particularly those that give them a little taste of luxury at a reasonable price.
"It's an affordable luxury," he said of his company's beauty products. "Do you have thirty-two dollars in your pocket for a tube of moisturizer? Every day of the week."
But how can luxury goods manufacturers and retailers keep the segment growing? Tahari said she and her husband have considered the idea of buying one of their retailers in an effort to get more information about how their products are selling, improve their margins, and better control how their brand appears.
You go into a mall and everybody is getting into the cosmetic business.— Tyler Morse, Bliss
"We'll know exactly what brands are performing well, exactly what sizes are selling," she said.
Instant feedback
Morse said controlling a retail channel is a powerful growth strategy for his company. Bliss performs 55,000 facials a year. Those services provide the company with a paying focus group from which it can gather feedback on its products.
"Our customers are paying us $200 [a facial]; you better believe they give us feedback," he said. While the company has a far smaller research staff than big cosmetic houses—Morse noted that Estée Lauder has 400 chemists—selling products to customers who come in for services help it compete.
Daniel Langer, executive director of marketing for hair products maker Bumble and Bumble, said that while many luxury goods companies have diversified their brands, his takes the opposite approach. It wants to be known specifically for its hair products, which are sold through 1,800 salons.
Koehn encouraged panelists to share their fondest strategic wishes—as well as their worst fears.
Tahari said that her company's biggest challenge is coping with a much shorter product lifespan in the fashion industry. "What used to be a six-month turnaround in fashion is now six weeks," she said.
Morse said his company is competing with an ever-more crowded market in cosmetics, a high-margin business that has enticed many retailers: Think Gap Body. "You go into a mall and everybody is getting into the cosmetic business," he said.
But most of the panelists said the opportunities of the past several years have far exceeded the challenges.
Tahari said her company's sales have grown by more than a third in the past three years. She credits its pricing for part of that growth. "It's at that 'not-too-expensive, but it's not cheap' really effective price point," she said.
Langer recalled an old industry saw to the effect that "in a recession, a really good business to be in is lingerie and lipsticks."
Joe J. Johnson, national manager of Maybach sales operations for Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, has perhaps faced a more significant challenge than the rest of the panel over the last several years: launching an extremely high-end automobile during a tough economy. Starting at $315,000, a Maybach isn't exactly an affordable luxury. Mercedes-Benz launched the super-premium auto brand after opting out of the bidding for Rolls Royce and Bentley in the 1990s. The company estimated there are 200,000 individuals in the United States with a net worth of $10 million or above—and Mercedes believed it could sell Maybachs to 400 or 500 of them.
"The market is smaller than we had anticipated," Johnson said.
So far, the brand is struggling to gain market share, and Mercedes-Benz has some high costs to recoup. Johnson estimated it cost about $1 billion to develop a car model. And it cost the seventy Maybach dealers in the United States (out of 340 Mercedes-Benz dealers) about $300,000 to $400,000 to create new showrooms for the cars. Last year, the company sold about 500 cars worldwide, half of them in the United States.
"I do think it's possible to do 300 or 400 cars [a year in the United States]. It's just some years out," Johnson said.
About the author
Julie Jette has been a business reporter for eight years.
Julie Jette
Executive Summary:
Few retailing segments have been as hot in the past several years as luxury goods. Even as middle-priced stores have struggled, luxury goods and luxury brands have, in many cases, outperformed the rest of retail. How?
Few retailing segments have been as hot in the past several years as luxury goods. Even as middle-priced stores have struggled, luxury goods and luxury brands have, in many cases, outperformed the rest of retail. How?
Luxury is the new essential. Consumers know it and retailers are reaping the bounty.
"Simultaneous with that, there's all kinds of change," Koehn said, noting "the extraordinary redefining of luxury by established middle-market and even lower-market players." For example, she said, "eight years ago, Starbucks was a luxury game on the east coast. . . . Now, Starbucks is daily standard operating procedure—a mass business."
"The tectonic plates that define luxury are shifting," she said.
Panelist Rory Tahari, creative director and brand designer for Elie Tahari, Ltd.—and wife of designer Elie Tahari—said she saw a clear trend toward higher expectations from consumers in the fashion industry. "We're experiencing ourselves a tremendous amount of growth right now," she said. "The consumer really wants highly designed garments at an affordable price."
Tyler Morse, president of Bliss, an upscale spa and beauty company purchased by Starwood Resorts and Hotels in 2004, said that even in a recession consumers will splurge on luxury items, particularly those that give them a little taste of luxury at a reasonable price.
"It's an affordable luxury," he said of his company's beauty products. "Do you have thirty-two dollars in your pocket for a tube of moisturizer? Every day of the week."
But how can luxury goods manufacturers and retailers keep the segment growing? Tahari said she and her husband have considered the idea of buying one of their retailers in an effort to get more information about how their products are selling, improve their margins, and better control how their brand appears.
You go into a mall and everybody is getting into the cosmetic business.— Tyler Morse, Bliss
"We'll know exactly what brands are performing well, exactly what sizes are selling," she said.
Instant feedback
Morse said controlling a retail channel is a powerful growth strategy for his company. Bliss performs 55,000 facials a year. Those services provide the company with a paying focus group from which it can gather feedback on its products.
"Our customers are paying us $200 [a facial]; you better believe they give us feedback," he said. While the company has a far smaller research staff than big cosmetic houses—Morse noted that Estée Lauder has 400 chemists—selling products to customers who come in for services help it compete.
Daniel Langer, executive director of marketing for hair products maker Bumble and Bumble, said that while many luxury goods companies have diversified their brands, his takes the opposite approach. It wants to be known specifically for its hair products, which are sold through 1,800 salons.
Koehn encouraged panelists to share their fondest strategic wishes—as well as their worst fears.
Tahari said that her company's biggest challenge is coping with a much shorter product lifespan in the fashion industry. "What used to be a six-month turnaround in fashion is now six weeks," she said.
Morse said his company is competing with an ever-more crowded market in cosmetics, a high-margin business that has enticed many retailers: Think Gap Body. "You go into a mall and everybody is getting into the cosmetic business," he said.
But most of the panelists said the opportunities of the past several years have far exceeded the challenges.
Tahari said her company's sales have grown by more than a third in the past three years. She credits its pricing for part of that growth. "It's at that 'not-too-expensive, but it's not cheap' really effective price point," she said.
Langer recalled an old industry saw to the effect that "in a recession, a really good business to be in is lingerie and lipsticks."
Joe J. Johnson, national manager of Maybach sales operations for Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, has perhaps faced a more significant challenge than the rest of the panel over the last several years: launching an extremely high-end automobile during a tough economy. Starting at $315,000, a Maybach isn't exactly an affordable luxury. Mercedes-Benz launched the super-premium auto brand after opting out of the bidding for Rolls Royce and Bentley in the 1990s. The company estimated there are 200,000 individuals in the United States with a net worth of $10 million or above—and Mercedes believed it could sell Maybachs to 400 or 500 of them.
"The market is smaller than we had anticipated," Johnson said.
So far, the brand is struggling to gain market share, and Mercedes-Benz has some high costs to recoup. Johnson estimated it cost about $1 billion to develop a car model. And it cost the seventy Maybach dealers in the United States (out of 340 Mercedes-Benz dealers) about $300,000 to $400,000 to create new showrooms for the cars. Last year, the company sold about 500 cars worldwide, half of them in the United States.
"I do think it's possible to do 300 or 400 cars [a year in the United States]. It's just some years out," Johnson said.
About the author
Julie Jette has been a business reporter for eight years.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
30 Smart Marketing Solutions: New Clients & Holidays
Published: February 12, 2008
Ready, set, market! It’s not always quite that easy. Marketing tools and promotions you’ve used through the years can start to feel a little stale, to you, your staff and your clients. On the following pages, you’ll find 30 ideas in six different categories on smart solutions to tough marketing challenges. Borrow a few for your own business and watch your profits soar.
NEW CLIENTS
1. The Salon: Avalon Salons, with four locations in Dallas, Texas
The Owner: Ric Bowden
The Marketing Challenge: With the rapid expansion of the salon chain and the growing number of clients, salon management found it more and more difficult to communicate to clients through traditional channels, such as promotional fliers and personal phone calls.
The Solution: The salon contracted with the e-mail marketing firm Constant Contact to help it develop a series of monthly e-mails that could either be directed at the salon’s entire database, or target specific populations of clients. “To gather and update client e-mail addresses, we had a drawing that offered two one-night gift certificates to the W Hotel. Clients could enter the contest simply by filling out a card with their current address, phone number and e-mail address,” says Jonné Tomeo, marketing director.
Using the firm’s templates, Tomeo develops monthly e-mail newsletters that inform clients of salon open houses, special product and service promotions and changes in staffing. “The best part of the program is all the statistical data it provides—it tells us who opened the e-mail, who clicked on the connection to the website, what time of day most people open their e-mail. All that information helps us improve our future communication.”
The program costs about $30 a month, providing an efficient, easy and inexpensive method for reaching clients with salon information. It also allows receivers to forward the newsletter to friends, resulting in new client contacts for the salon.
The Results: “We saw a great response when we sent out an e-mail promotion for our holiday sale—product sales increased 15 percent, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of sales,” says Tomeo. The salon currently has 3,700 client e-mail addresses in the database, and Tomeo says she gets about 20 new potential clients who visit the website and sign up for the newsletter each week.
2. The Salon: Avantgarde Salon Inc. in Destin, Florida
The Owner: Joseph Rogers
The Challenge: The salon’s original location primarily operated on appointments booked months in advance. When the salon recently opened a second location in a shopping center, it needed to broaden its marketing strategy to include a very different target market, including walk-in clientele. “Our new strategies needed to expand to encompass our growing staff, clientele, and new hours while keeping true to our name and original atmosphere,” says manager Sami Jones.
The Marketing Solution: Avantgarde worked closely with a marketing company to develop a new logo, as well as new menus, business cards, mailers, and print ads that captured the spirit of the new business. “Previously, all of our advertising focused on our accomplishments, such as making the SALON TODAY 200 and being named as the ‘best’ by Emerald Coast Magazine,” says Jones. “This was great for new clients, but they often had to wait for an appointment far in advance. With the new location, we increased our staff, as well as our hours. We refocused our marketing to make potential clients aware that we had more trained, talented staff available at multiple price brackets.”
In order to put the new marketing campaign to use, the salon broadened its advertising venues from two local magazine publications to include the local newspaper to reach more of the walk-in clientele. “We also didn’t want to forget about our existing clientele, so we formatted a mailer to let them know how much we appreciated them by offering them a slight discount and encouraging them to invite in one of their friends. We were able to solidify their loyalty and gain new clients at the same time.”
The Results: Avantgarde recently held the grand opening of its new location and had an outstanding turnout of existing, new and future clients. “Our new stylists are booking out at a good pace and the appointment volume is high. Our original staff has maintained their high retention rates, and our new staff members are at approximately 40 percent retention.”
3. The Salon: Renaissance Salon in Dover, Ohio
The Owners: Tod and Diane Carper
The Challenge: Building the clientele of two new stylists during one of the slowest times of the year.
The Marketing Solution: With January as a typically slow month, it was a bad time to be bringing two new talent stylists onto the floor. To help them stay busy, the owners launched a promotion for January and February where any client who purchases a color service gets a complimentary cut and style from one of the new stylists. They got the word out through direct e-mail, within the salon and on their website.
The Results: “It’s gone well,” says Diane. “Better than I expected. Some people don’t want a brand new stylist, but some do, especially when it’s a good deal and right after the holidays.”
4. The Salon: Choices Hair and Nail Salon in Greenwood, Indiana
The Owners: Jane Harper and Tammy Gibson
The Challenge: Getting clients for new stylists.
The Marketing Solution: To build the clientele of two new stylists, they sent out a mailer to all existing clients and the local Chamber of Commerce members—as a chamber member, they could send out. Information to all other members free of charge. The mailer urged clients to send in a potential new client. Any person who sent in a client received an entry for a drawing held at the end of three months. The winning prize was a year’s worth of free services, capped at $750.
The Results: “We got 75 new clients, with a revenue of $3,750 in services and retail dollars,” says Harper. “And that doesn’t include continued revenue. Our new client retention for that year is 63 percent, so it was well worth the promo.”
5. The Salon: Innovations Hair Design in Elkhart, Indiana
The Owner: Gretchen Reverman
The Challenge: Getting new clients, while keeping the current ones.
The Marketing Solution: An informal referral card program that rewards new clients, as well as the ones that referred them. When clients refer a friend or family member, the stylist, who hands out the referral cards, rewards them with a thank-you gift customized for the individual client and what they need or want. That can
include such incentives as a few highlights, a brow wax, a new product or a discount on their hair cut. New clients are also given $5 off their next appointment.
The Results: “I think it’s about appreciating the clients you have,” says Reverman. “We keep pretty much everyone, and even most of the walk-ins seem to stay.”
6. The Salon: A New Technique in Simi Valley, California
The Owners: Lynda, Wes, John and Candace Miller
The Challenge: Getting new clients.
The Marketing Solution: The salon teamed up with a radio station to give away 20 free $100 gift
certificates as prizes for one of the station’s contests during the 2007 holiday season. “It’s one of the best advertisements you can get,” says Lynda. The advertisement is virtually free; the $2,000 in gift certificates actually only costs the salon $1,000 if every person redeems their certificate.
The Results: At the beginning of January, 10 people had come in to redeem their certificates, and all were brand new customers. “We thought it was a really good promotion and we’re going to continue to do promotions with that radio station,” says Lynda.
7. The Salon: Headlines for Hair in Encinitas, California
The Owner: Gayle Fulbright
The Challenge: To get clients to refer their friends and family.
The Marketing Solution: “We run an annual promotion at Headlines in the beginning of every new year. Simply, the client who sends in the most new referrals to the salon in the first eight weeks is our “Client of the Year.” She is entitled to $1,000 worth of services—facials, manicures and hair services—for free.”
The Results: “Our results have been more than 80 new clients in the first eight weeks of the year. It is especially great because we run her story in our local paper to announce her gift and she tells the world how happy she is, even after the promotion is over.”
8. The Salon: Tiffany’s Salon and Spa in Barrington, Rhode Island
The Owner: Raymond Hennessey
The Challenge: To recruit new clients.
The Marketing Solution: “We recently ran a promotion in Rhode Island Monthly that offered a 25-percent discount on either a hair or nail service,” says Hennessey. “Rhode Island Monthly is a monthly lifestyle magazine that reaches an upscale audience in the 15-mile radius surrounding our salon. Its rates are usually pretty high, but I was fortunate enough to be able to bid on an advertising package at a charitable auction.”
The Results: While the publication had only been in circulation for two weeks, Hennessey already had 75 coupons redeemed, and he expects more in the coming weeks. “While some were redeemed by existing clients, I figured this was a nice way to reward their loyalty. But at least a third of the coupons came from new clients.”
9. The Salon: LaBarberia Salon & Spa in Cleveland, Ohio
The Marketing Manager: Kristen Scharfeld
The Challenge: To guarantee clients come back.
The Marketing Solution: “LaBarberia’s exclusive Charter Membership Program allows our guests to receive the absolute best value for their money. By choosing from one of our four packages, (Student, Gold, Silver and Platinum), guests will receive advance notice of any new products and services, discounts on retail purchases, the ability to share their membership with family and friends, an invitation and complimentary admission to all of our parties, special events and charitable events throughout the year and much more. Best of all, there is no expiration date to worry about. Charter Memberships continue until the completion of the full account spending.”
The Results: “The program more than pays for itself with the services clients receive for joining.”
10. The Salon: James Joseph Salon and Studio, Boston, Massachusetts
Owner: William George
The Challenge: To increase the number of referrals.
The Marketing Solution: “We launched our 20/20 Referral Program, where both the regular client and the friend get a 20-percent discount on their next visit.”
The Results: “Referrals have traditionally accounted for 6 to 7 percent of all of our client visits in a given month. When we instituted the 20/20 program, 8 percent became our average, accounting for a 20 percent average increase in the number of referrals per month.”
HOLIDAYS
11. The Salon: A New Technique in Simi Valley, California
The Owners: Lynda, Wes, John and Candace Miller
The Challenge: Winter retail woes.
The Marketing Solution: During January and February, leading up to Valentine’s Day, the salon supplements their usual monthly retail promotion with Spin the Wheel. Each person who purchases a retail product is given a chance to spin the wheel, landing on things like two travel-size products, a free eyebrow wax, a full-size hairspray, and the grand prize—a makeover and dinner for two for Valentine’s Day.
The Results: “It really perks up interest and everyone gets to wins something,” says Lynda.
12. The Spa: Chelsea Salon and Day Spa in Tallahassee, Florida
The Owner: Mary Fannin
The Challenge: Keeping the spa busy during the holidays.
The Marketing Solution: To keep clients flowing into the spa, Fannin catered to the time crunch by designing a special Mini-Cure menu of services. The special menu of half-the-time services includes a $15 Mini-Manicure; a $30 Mini-Pedicure; and a 30-minute Mini-Massage for $35. Or, a client can purchase the entire Mini-Cure package for $75.
“As a secondary marketing strategy, we are hoping to condition our clients into thinking of getting these Mini-Manicures while their color services are processing,” adds Fannin.
The Results: At the time of the interview, Fannin had only been offering the promotion for a week, but reports she’s happy with the way the spa books are filling up. “Also clients are responding well to the concept of having dual services,” she adds.
13. The Salon: Artistic Trends Salon in Sellersville, Pennsylvania
The Owner: Barb Berberich
The Challenge: Promoting Valentine’s Day spa services.
The Marketing Solution: To promote the spa, plus gift cards and the Valentine’s Day holiday, the staff put together the Champagne and Roses Spa Package—a one-hour aromatherapy massage and 30-minute custom facial. They are promoting it as a great Valentine’s gift or as a gift the clients can give themselves.
The Results: “This is something that has worked for us in the past,” says Berberich. “It helps keep the excitement and focus going in the salon for both staff and clients.”
14. The Salon: Headlines for Hair in Encinitas, California
The Owner: Gayle Fulbright
The Challenge: Getting gift certificate sales.
The Marketing Solution: “During holidays, my salon manager instructs all of our salon coordinators to say this script during the reminder calls: ‘We would like to remind you that we have gift certificates available, and when you come in, we can have them already made up for you. If you choose to purchase in advance, you can receive $10 off. Shall I reserve one for you?’ She has them rehearse and they do it every call.”
The Results: “Our results have been more than $3,000 in gift certificates.”
15. The Salon: Fabrizio Salon and Spa in Wilmington, Delaware
The Owners: Fabrizio and Angela Galieti
The Challenge: To encourage clients to purchase holiday gift certificates and products early for the holidays.
The Marketing Solution: Two years ago, Angela initiated The Black Friday Sales Event, a two-day sale following Thanksgiving Day that offers discounts on retail and gift certificates. During the special event, gift certificates are offered with a special sliding-scale discount. For example, a client receives 5-percent off a $50 gift card; 10-percent off a $100 gift card; 15-percent off a $200 gift card and 20-percent off a $500 or more gift card. A mailer is sent to all clients and they are encouraged to pre-order, as early as November 1, if they can’t make the event.
While Galieti knows some clients purchased the discounted gift cards to use for themselves, she thinks it’s worth it. “In today’s economy where clients are stretching their appointments, we know we’re locking some in for the next year—we had clients who bought themselves $1,000 gift cards last year return to buy $2,000 gift cards this year.”
The Results: The Galietis and staff deemed the event a huge success. “During the two-week period that included the event our sales totaled $188,000 and our winning top seller sold $36,000 in retail and gift certificates. Not only does the event boost our November sales, but we find people still buy gift cards in December, and our Januarys are strong because people start redeeming their certificates.”
Ready, set, market! It’s not always quite that easy. Marketing tools and promotions you’ve used through the years can start to feel a little stale, to you, your staff and your clients. On the following pages, you’ll find 30 ideas in six different categories on smart solutions to tough marketing challenges. Borrow a few for your own business and watch your profits soar.
NEW CLIENTS
1. The Salon: Avalon Salons, with four locations in Dallas, Texas
The Owner: Ric Bowden
The Marketing Challenge: With the rapid expansion of the salon chain and the growing number of clients, salon management found it more and more difficult to communicate to clients through traditional channels, such as promotional fliers and personal phone calls.
The Solution: The salon contracted with the e-mail marketing firm Constant Contact to help it develop a series of monthly e-mails that could either be directed at the salon’s entire database, or target specific populations of clients. “To gather and update client e-mail addresses, we had a drawing that offered two one-night gift certificates to the W Hotel. Clients could enter the contest simply by filling out a card with their current address, phone number and e-mail address,” says Jonné Tomeo, marketing director.
Using the firm’s templates, Tomeo develops monthly e-mail newsletters that inform clients of salon open houses, special product and service promotions and changes in staffing. “The best part of the program is all the statistical data it provides—it tells us who opened the e-mail, who clicked on the connection to the website, what time of day most people open their e-mail. All that information helps us improve our future communication.”
The program costs about $30 a month, providing an efficient, easy and inexpensive method for reaching clients with salon information. It also allows receivers to forward the newsletter to friends, resulting in new client contacts for the salon.
The Results: “We saw a great response when we sent out an e-mail promotion for our holiday sale—product sales increased 15 percent, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of sales,” says Tomeo. The salon currently has 3,700 client e-mail addresses in the database, and Tomeo says she gets about 20 new potential clients who visit the website and sign up for the newsletter each week.
2. The Salon: Avantgarde Salon Inc. in Destin, Florida
The Owner: Joseph Rogers
The Challenge: The salon’s original location primarily operated on appointments booked months in advance. When the salon recently opened a second location in a shopping center, it needed to broaden its marketing strategy to include a very different target market, including walk-in clientele. “Our new strategies needed to expand to encompass our growing staff, clientele, and new hours while keeping true to our name and original atmosphere,” says manager Sami Jones.
The Marketing Solution: Avantgarde worked closely with a marketing company to develop a new logo, as well as new menus, business cards, mailers, and print ads that captured the spirit of the new business. “Previously, all of our advertising focused on our accomplishments, such as making the SALON TODAY 200 and being named as the ‘best’ by Emerald Coast Magazine,” says Jones. “This was great for new clients, but they often had to wait for an appointment far in advance. With the new location, we increased our staff, as well as our hours. We refocused our marketing to make potential clients aware that we had more trained, talented staff available at multiple price brackets.”
In order to put the new marketing campaign to use, the salon broadened its advertising venues from two local magazine publications to include the local newspaper to reach more of the walk-in clientele. “We also didn’t want to forget about our existing clientele, so we formatted a mailer to let them know how much we appreciated them by offering them a slight discount and encouraging them to invite in one of their friends. We were able to solidify their loyalty and gain new clients at the same time.”
The Results: Avantgarde recently held the grand opening of its new location and had an outstanding turnout of existing, new and future clients. “Our new stylists are booking out at a good pace and the appointment volume is high. Our original staff has maintained their high retention rates, and our new staff members are at approximately 40 percent retention.”
3. The Salon: Renaissance Salon in Dover, Ohio
The Owners: Tod and Diane Carper
The Challenge: Building the clientele of two new stylists during one of the slowest times of the year.
The Marketing Solution: With January as a typically slow month, it was a bad time to be bringing two new talent stylists onto the floor. To help them stay busy, the owners launched a promotion for January and February where any client who purchases a color service gets a complimentary cut and style from one of the new stylists. They got the word out through direct e-mail, within the salon and on their website.
The Results: “It’s gone well,” says Diane. “Better than I expected. Some people don’t want a brand new stylist, but some do, especially when it’s a good deal and right after the holidays.”
4. The Salon: Choices Hair and Nail Salon in Greenwood, Indiana
The Owners: Jane Harper and Tammy Gibson
The Challenge: Getting clients for new stylists.
The Marketing Solution: To build the clientele of two new stylists, they sent out a mailer to all existing clients and the local Chamber of Commerce members—as a chamber member, they could send out. Information to all other members free of charge. The mailer urged clients to send in a potential new client. Any person who sent in a client received an entry for a drawing held at the end of three months. The winning prize was a year’s worth of free services, capped at $750.
The Results: “We got 75 new clients, with a revenue of $3,750 in services and retail dollars,” says Harper. “And that doesn’t include continued revenue. Our new client retention for that year is 63 percent, so it was well worth the promo.”
5. The Salon: Innovations Hair Design in Elkhart, Indiana
The Owner: Gretchen Reverman
The Challenge: Getting new clients, while keeping the current ones.
The Marketing Solution: An informal referral card program that rewards new clients, as well as the ones that referred them. When clients refer a friend or family member, the stylist, who hands out the referral cards, rewards them with a thank-you gift customized for the individual client and what they need or want. That can
include such incentives as a few highlights, a brow wax, a new product or a discount on their hair cut. New clients are also given $5 off their next appointment.
The Results: “I think it’s about appreciating the clients you have,” says Reverman. “We keep pretty much everyone, and even most of the walk-ins seem to stay.”
6. The Salon: A New Technique in Simi Valley, California
The Owners: Lynda, Wes, John and Candace Miller
The Challenge: Getting new clients.
The Marketing Solution: The salon teamed up with a radio station to give away 20 free $100 gift
certificates as prizes for one of the station’s contests during the 2007 holiday season. “It’s one of the best advertisements you can get,” says Lynda. The advertisement is virtually free; the $2,000 in gift certificates actually only costs the salon $1,000 if every person redeems their certificate.
The Results: At the beginning of January, 10 people had come in to redeem their certificates, and all were brand new customers. “We thought it was a really good promotion and we’re going to continue to do promotions with that radio station,” says Lynda.
7. The Salon: Headlines for Hair in Encinitas, California
The Owner: Gayle Fulbright
The Challenge: To get clients to refer their friends and family.
The Marketing Solution: “We run an annual promotion at Headlines in the beginning of every new year. Simply, the client who sends in the most new referrals to the salon in the first eight weeks is our “Client of the Year.” She is entitled to $1,000 worth of services—facials, manicures and hair services—for free.”
The Results: “Our results have been more than 80 new clients in the first eight weeks of the year. It is especially great because we run her story in our local paper to announce her gift and she tells the world how happy she is, even after the promotion is over.”
8. The Salon: Tiffany’s Salon and Spa in Barrington, Rhode Island
The Owner: Raymond Hennessey
The Challenge: To recruit new clients.
The Marketing Solution: “We recently ran a promotion in Rhode Island Monthly that offered a 25-percent discount on either a hair or nail service,” says Hennessey. “Rhode Island Monthly is a monthly lifestyle magazine that reaches an upscale audience in the 15-mile radius surrounding our salon. Its rates are usually pretty high, but I was fortunate enough to be able to bid on an advertising package at a charitable auction.”
The Results: While the publication had only been in circulation for two weeks, Hennessey already had 75 coupons redeemed, and he expects more in the coming weeks. “While some were redeemed by existing clients, I figured this was a nice way to reward their loyalty. But at least a third of the coupons came from new clients.”
9. The Salon: LaBarberia Salon & Spa in Cleveland, Ohio
The Marketing Manager: Kristen Scharfeld
The Challenge: To guarantee clients come back.
The Marketing Solution: “LaBarberia’s exclusive Charter Membership Program allows our guests to receive the absolute best value for their money. By choosing from one of our four packages, (Student, Gold, Silver and Platinum), guests will receive advance notice of any new products and services, discounts on retail purchases, the ability to share their membership with family and friends, an invitation and complimentary admission to all of our parties, special events and charitable events throughout the year and much more. Best of all, there is no expiration date to worry about. Charter Memberships continue until the completion of the full account spending.”
The Results: “The program more than pays for itself with the services clients receive for joining.”
10. The Salon: James Joseph Salon and Studio, Boston, Massachusetts
Owner: William George
The Challenge: To increase the number of referrals.
The Marketing Solution: “We launched our 20/20 Referral Program, where both the regular client and the friend get a 20-percent discount on their next visit.”
The Results: “Referrals have traditionally accounted for 6 to 7 percent of all of our client visits in a given month. When we instituted the 20/20 program, 8 percent became our average, accounting for a 20 percent average increase in the number of referrals per month.”
HOLIDAYS
11. The Salon: A New Technique in Simi Valley, California
The Owners: Lynda, Wes, John and Candace Miller
The Challenge: Winter retail woes.
The Marketing Solution: During January and February, leading up to Valentine’s Day, the salon supplements their usual monthly retail promotion with Spin the Wheel. Each person who purchases a retail product is given a chance to spin the wheel, landing on things like two travel-size products, a free eyebrow wax, a full-size hairspray, and the grand prize—a makeover and dinner for two for Valentine’s Day.
The Results: “It really perks up interest and everyone gets to wins something,” says Lynda.
12. The Spa: Chelsea Salon and Day Spa in Tallahassee, Florida
The Owner: Mary Fannin
The Challenge: Keeping the spa busy during the holidays.
The Marketing Solution: To keep clients flowing into the spa, Fannin catered to the time crunch by designing a special Mini-Cure menu of services. The special menu of half-the-time services includes a $15 Mini-Manicure; a $30 Mini-Pedicure; and a 30-minute Mini-Massage for $35. Or, a client can purchase the entire Mini-Cure package for $75.
“As a secondary marketing strategy, we are hoping to condition our clients into thinking of getting these Mini-Manicures while their color services are processing,” adds Fannin.
The Results: At the time of the interview, Fannin had only been offering the promotion for a week, but reports she’s happy with the way the spa books are filling up. “Also clients are responding well to the concept of having dual services,” she adds.
13. The Salon: Artistic Trends Salon in Sellersville, Pennsylvania
The Owner: Barb Berberich
The Challenge: Promoting Valentine’s Day spa services.
The Marketing Solution: To promote the spa, plus gift cards and the Valentine’s Day holiday, the staff put together the Champagne and Roses Spa Package—a one-hour aromatherapy massage and 30-minute custom facial. They are promoting it as a great Valentine’s gift or as a gift the clients can give themselves.
The Results: “This is something that has worked for us in the past,” says Berberich. “It helps keep the excitement and focus going in the salon for both staff and clients.”
14. The Salon: Headlines for Hair in Encinitas, California
The Owner: Gayle Fulbright
The Challenge: Getting gift certificate sales.
The Marketing Solution: “During holidays, my salon manager instructs all of our salon coordinators to say this script during the reminder calls: ‘We would like to remind you that we have gift certificates available, and when you come in, we can have them already made up for you. If you choose to purchase in advance, you can receive $10 off. Shall I reserve one for you?’ She has them rehearse and they do it every call.”
The Results: “Our results have been more than $3,000 in gift certificates.”
15. The Salon: Fabrizio Salon and Spa in Wilmington, Delaware
The Owners: Fabrizio and Angela Galieti
The Challenge: To encourage clients to purchase holiday gift certificates and products early for the holidays.
The Marketing Solution: Two years ago, Angela initiated The Black Friday Sales Event, a two-day sale following Thanksgiving Day that offers discounts on retail and gift certificates. During the special event, gift certificates are offered with a special sliding-scale discount. For example, a client receives 5-percent off a $50 gift card; 10-percent off a $100 gift card; 15-percent off a $200 gift card and 20-percent off a $500 or more gift card. A mailer is sent to all clients and they are encouraged to pre-order, as early as November 1, if they can’t make the event.
While Galieti knows some clients purchased the discounted gift cards to use for themselves, she thinks it’s worth it. “In today’s economy where clients are stretching their appointments, we know we’re locking some in for the next year—we had clients who bought themselves $1,000 gift cards last year return to buy $2,000 gift cards this year.”
The Results: The Galietis and staff deemed the event a huge success. “During the two-week period that included the event our sales totaled $188,000 and our winning top seller sold $36,000 in retail and gift certificates. Not only does the event boost our November sales, but we find people still buy gift cards in December, and our Januarys are strong because people start redeeming their certificates.”
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