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dayspamagazine.com • october 2017 • [ 67 ] Rethink Your Retail Shopper Retail shopping bags are the ultimate brand ambassadors—and they're inexpensive to boot. By investing as little as an extra $1 per customer, spa owners can essentially turn bags into billboards. Larry Oskin, president of Marketing Solutions, a Fairfax, Virginia-based public relations agency that specializes in the beauty and medical industries, concurs. "You need to get your brand out on the streets in a way that's memorable," he opines. His suggestion: Keep the bag simple, yet distinctive. "If your spa's logo is unique, with a strong color scheme, go with that," he advises. He recommends limiting the use of deluxe shoppers provided by retail partners such as skincare companies. "They look nice; however, they don't promote you," says Oskin. Whether it's Tiff any's bright blue boxes or Bloomingdales' little brown bags, a well-done shopper works overtime, at no extra cost. "Whenever I give speeches at conventions, I talk about how women save the Tiff any box and love to show it off . With a very small extra investment, all spas should take advantage of this creative marketing and branding opportunity." Preach to the Choir In-house marketing is one of the most eff ective and aff ordable ways to reach those most likely to use your services or buy your products: the clients already in your spa. "Your customers are a captive audience," points out Anna Churchill, owner of Synergy Spa & Aesthetics in Raleigh, North Carolina. She believes in nonstop marketing to existing clients, who in turn become disciples spreading the gospel of your spa services. Synergy's two locations feature large round tables for displaying current promotions. "Every season we change our specials," explains Churchill. "We create an attractive scene that draws people over. Our clients know to look there to fi nd out what's going on—we've trained them to go to the table!" Front desk personnel also wear shirts and buttons that advertise new treatments as part of these promotional campaigns. Counter cards are another simple and aff ordable way to promote specials. "You need in-spa point-of-purchase signs that change at least quarterly," says Oskin. "Remember to switch the signs on your front desk, windows and stations every four to six weeks." You can also use wall art to promote your spa services. If your budget allows, ask your retail partners to supply tasteful, framed posters that can be placed in restrooms, locker rooms or in the hair salon area. Revamp Existing Collateral Business cards, counter signs, shelf talkers and brochures are traditional forms of spa marketing collateral that, even in 2017, are still valuable—and it pays to wring more marketing mileage out of these old standards. "Retail shelf talkers are one of the most aff ordable ways to promote products," says Oskin. "You can even make them on your home computer." The industry veteran suggests including the product's name and two to three benefi ts. "It must describe what it does," he says. "The term 'skin mask' alone doesn't really tell the customer which issues it addresses or which skin type it's for." Another suggestion: Ditch the traditional spa menu for more aff ordable rack cards, suggests Churchill. "We print them in bulk and design new ones for specifi c promotions," she says. Despite the growth of LinkedIn and the prevalence of nifty smartphone apps, business cards aren't obsolete. But you can still aff ord to get creative with them. That's why beauty and lifestyle pro Stacy Cox, owner of Pampered People in Studio City, California, opts for colorful hair combs—with diff erent options for men and women—that display her contact information. Instead of pieces of paper that end up in the trash, her combs are gifts to keep. "I give these out constantly—clients go nuts for them!" she enthuses. "You can also do this with lip balm and nail fi les—there are so many inexpensive ways to reinvent the business card." TOP: © GETTY IMAGES; BOTTOM: COURTESY MATTHEW ADDISON, SYNERGY SPA & AESTHETICS