DAYSPA is the magazine of spa management. Spa owners and spa managers turn to DAYSPA for spa management trends, spa management tips and more.
Issue link: https://dayspamagazine.epubxp.com/i/99723
Discounting services may seem risky, but when executed right, Spa Week can be a true revenue-generator. THE ART OF THE Fifty-buck FACIAL IN THE SPA WORLD, "discounting" can be a dirty word, and certainly a tactic that savvy owners use sparingly. But during the economic recession, promotional price cuts and daily-deal sites became somewhat of a necessary evil to keep many spas afloat. Within the daily-deal fray, marketing platform Spa Week has rapidly risen in the ranks as a not-sosecret weapon for spa owners looking to drive new clients into their establishments. Founder Cheryl Reid says the Spa Week concept derived from the need for an effective and profitable program that would bring new clients into spas that had sparse resources for advertising and marketing. "I thought, 'If we could figure out some way to drive in consumers in one fell swoop, it would change the industry for the better.'" Inspired by the popular Restaurant Week event, which offers price-fixed menu offerings in eateries across the country, Reid soon devised a similar weeklong promotion that offered fullservice spa treatments at participating spas for the discounted price of 50 DAYSPA | JANUARY 2013 $50. Since its initial launch in the fall of 2004, the bi-annual event has attracted millions of new consumers to the spa, and become somewhat of a household term. As Spa Week's popularity grows, so has its roster of spa affiliates. "We get hundreds of spas participating in each event," says Breanna Crowley, director of operations, Spa Week Media. From Swedish massages and manipedi combos to microdermabrasion and peels, price-conscious clients can indulge in luxuries they typically exclude from their budget, throughout one week during the spring and fall of each year. "Spa Week has allowed us to tear down the wall that separates the spa lifestyle from the everyday consumer," says Reid. To help businesses get the most out of their experience, Spa Week staff navigates spa owners through the event with step-by-step assistance. They provide social media and email marketing resources, television and print advertising opportunities, in-store signage and treatment tips. "We are not just throwing a deal out there," explains Reid. "We are putting blood, sweat and tears into a marketing program that will work for each business." Costs to participate in Spa Week vary with the size of the business. Over the years, veteran Spa Week participants have figured out a thing or two about how to maximize the event. DAYSPA chatted with some of the event's "regulars" for some insight on how they make it a revenue-generator. Here's their sixstep plan for Spa Week success. PLAINVIEW/GETTY IMAGES By Angela Melero