BIG INSPIRATION

SHOWCASE YOUR TALENT

When top designers create a gorgeous new gown or chic chiffon blouse, they don’t hide it away; they ensure their ‘art’ is seen by the right people. Just as houses such as Versace and Armani showcase their latest collections to decision makers at international Fashion Weeks, rather than just producing static hair collections, why not also give a live display of your talents by inviting clients and movers and shakers to your own hair extravaganza event? By creating a mini runway and showing off forward-thinking cuts and colours for the season ahead, you’ll reinforce your team’s expertise, plus help cement your salon as one to watch for the hottest hair trends, which will get the local beauty journalists talking and the customers flocking.

FORM PARTNERSHIPS

Orange, Odeon and Pizza Express have proved that there really is strength in numbers by joining forces for ‘Orange Wednesdays,’ which enables customers to get 2 for 1 cinema and meal deals. Adapting this strategy by partnering with a complementary, non-competing business in your area such as a beauty salon or gym and offering their clients something special when they visit your salon on a particular day could see your client base rocket. Whether you propose a complimentary treatment with every blowdry on a Monday, or decide to go all out and mirror the same 2 for 1 deal, think

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of an offer that will tempt clients in on a typically slow day, and your database is sure to go large.

BE A SPONSOR

Whether it’s Coca Cola backing the World Cup or Domino’s Pizza sponsoring Britain’s Got Talent, big brands align themselves with their target audience’s favourite events, shows or activities to get their brand noticed. While you may not have the budget to sponsor your client’s favourite soap, you can still generate great results on a smaller scale. If you’d like to attract more mums to boost daytime bookings, try sponsoring a local school sports team. Organisations are always looking for extra funding; sponsorship will allow them to get the funds they need and you’ll get your salon name in front of a plethora of potential clients.

RUN IRRESISTIBLE PROMOTIONS

The big boys understand that running promotions needn’t mean devaluing their brand; in the long-term it can actually encourage customers to spend more. Marks & Spencer has enjoyed incredible success with their Dine In For Two For £10 promotion. As well as providing fantastic value for money, it also introduces their customers to a host of products that they may not have otherwise tried, and you can do the same. If you’ve just hired a part-time manicurist to join your team, you could offer clients a blowdry, treatment and mini manicure for

Whether you’re a boutique salon in Birmingham or a growing chain in Cheshire, with the right inspiration, being small doesn’t mean you can’t promote your company in a big way. In the last of our three-part PR series Sharleen Hunter explains how adopting the marketing techniques used by household names from outside of the industry can make an impact on your business.

a preferential price. Whether it’s providing a set number of services on a set day for a set cost, if you create an irresistible package it won’t be long before clients are hooked and return for more than just ‘the usual’.

RUN A REWARD SCHEME

Loyalty schemes such as the Tesco Clubcard, Boots Reward card and Nandos Chicken Loyalty Album have been successfully used for years and have already been adopted by savvy salons. If you’re not already doing so, create a system to reward your clients for choosing to visit you rather than a competitor. Offers such as a complimentary blowdry or treatment after ‘X’ number of visits have proved popular with clients and get them itching for their next stamp or points fix, which means more bookings for your salon.

INVEST INPR

As we’ve seen in previous issues of Salon Business, PR is a powerful tool which has played a key part in helping brands like Virgin and Innocent Drinks go from zero to hero. Starting out in 1999 with no marketing budget, Innocent relied on public relations to attract stockists. Although their request to be sold in Harvey Nichols was initially rejected, two days after securing an article in the Evening Standard, the store called to say they’d like to stock their products after all, which set them on the road to the