The Growth Catalysts

BrandA tool for differentiation & competitive advantage

4th November 2009

Is the market full of me-too services & products?

As you know most spa menus, are more or less similar,

How do you then differentiate?

Has your esthetician just left you for other greener pasture?

Do you see your customers walking away with her… trouble!

Are you a great spa which offers amazing experiences to your customers?

That isn’t enough…

But how unique & proprietary are they?

Are you content with a smaller slice of the same pie?

What do you do?

What you need is a

change

You need a catalyst

Catalyst = BrandWhich is unique & proprietary

Building a brand is important, only through a

brand a business communicates the positive

attributes of its products or services

By building a good brand, businesses will also

be able to curtail their overall marketing

budgets

Why Building Brand is Important?

Customers buy more than products or services,

they buy your Brand

Who are you, how you look, how you treat

people, what are you all about

Every experience your customers have with you,

must be wonderful and it must be consistent

What do customers buy?

So your Brand, happily, does not go with your esthetician…

It remains with you and acts like a magnet that keeps pulling your customers back.

Take two identical, competing products,

and the one with the best-executed

brand will always win

A stronger brand always wins

A great spa brand offers unique,

proprietary experiences

that customers can’t have

elsewhere

Build that kind of personal connection with you

customers, and they’ll be loyal to the core

Your brand is the personal relationship

your customers have with your brand,

company, product or service

Many startups feel they’re not

“ready” for a brand when they first open their doors.

If they’re afraid to put their name on a bottle, they’d better not put their name on a building, either.

Branding your spa is as important to your business success as having a professional staff and competitive pricing!

The purpose of having people remember the brand name and

have positive associations with that brand is to make their

selection easier and enhance the value

and satisfaction they get.

Extended Branding of your Spa

Brand Wheel Marketing Wheel

Connection

Customer-Brand Connect

How???

Lokusdesign 5 step process

Defining Your Brand

Define the qualities associated with your products and services.

Describe the core value of your company and characterize the promise behind the brand.

Who are your primary customers?

What are their values and interests?

Move on to your competitorsGain insight into their brands, particularly the thrust of their marketing campaigns.

What is their relative strength?

Describe your product and service mix.

What do you do exceptionally well?

Why do people do business with you?

Develop your Brand Strategy

Developing a brand strategy is a critical part of establishing your company identity. Your brand identity must be communicated consistently across different media

Marketing a Service Brand

Differentiate your business from competitors by emphasizing experience, expertise, and professionalism. But don’t stop there

People choose personal services on the basis of feelings, emotions & trust

EmployeesAs treatment providers, they represent your brand, including its message, promise, and personality.

They have to buy into the brand statement and actually live the brand

The impression clients receive from your employees influences their opinion about your brand.

Few steps

1. Create a compelling name for your spa business

2. Create a logo and 'style guide' for your spa.

Do you have a quality logo that represents the level of professionalism offered by your salon or spa?

Does your color scheme invoke the correct type of response in potential customer's minds, or is it a rainbow of randomness?

3Create a slogan: Defines the qualities your business has that may set it apart

from the competition

4Install attractive signage on your building and around your business location

5Create and Promote a Website for Your Salon or Spa: More and more

consumers are turning to the internet to find products and services, and

locate businesses in their area

6Promote your Website through Email Marketing

7Promote your Website through Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

8 Increase your spa client base through regular advertising methods

9 Increase your spa client base through creative advertising methods:

develop an incentive system for your customers to refer their friends & family

10 Donate gift certificates / coupons to a charity organization

11 Networking and referrals from other businesses or customers is a great way to improve your business. Don’t be shy about asking for the referral

12 Write articles for your local newspaper or for online publications such as “e-zines” and newsletters. They provide a great way to establish your credibility and promote your business.

13 Internet forums allow you to post comments and offer advice. Find beauty forums where you can establish your credibility as an expert in your field. Although advertising is prohibited, you can include your signature file with each posting.

14 “Free gift with purchase” Try giving away a small, inexpensive gift as

an added incentive to promote your brand and good will among customers.

15 Display your brand on tee shirts, polo shirts, etc. Promote your brand while you’re not working by wearing your branded clothing. For instance, if you belong to a walking club or gym, wear your spa tee shirt during exercise.

16 Offer a guarantee. The guarantee behind the brand goes a long way to insure consumer confidence. Are you confident enough about your products and services to offer a guarantee?

Qualities of Great Brand Advertising:

1. Keep a brand focus: your ad must sell the brand as well as the

product or service

2. Your ad should capture the brand’s most compelling story

3. Use your brand theme line in all media seen by the public

4. Demonstrate how your service is superior

5. Make your ad believable

Give customers more than they expect

All the little things you do for your clients add up to a big brand statement

Impress your clients

Never do anything second rate

The Growth Catalyst!!!

www.lokusdesign.com