branding for salons
TRANSCRIPT
Who is this guy?• Launched Salon Magazine over 20 years ago
• Producer of the Contessa Awards
• Added Elevate Magazine in 2004
• Added Salon Lookbook in 2012
What you will take away• What branding is and why it matters to you
• How to discover your brand
• Designing your brand
• How to communicate your brand
• Using your brand to acquire, retain and grow your business
• How to build a team to support your brand
Connecting
• Take notes - you’ll get more out of today
• Ask questions. Contribute. Challenge me.
• I’ll be around after to chat or or answer questions.
What is branding?
The sum of all experiences your clients have at all touchpoints of your business
What is branding?
It is as unique as you are. It can’t be duplicated and rarely can it be copied or borrowed.
What is branding?
• A brand is the signature of your company
• A brand is your identity, clearly defined
• A brand conveys emotion and evokes feelings
• A brand is forever - it will outlive you
• A brand is shorthand for everything great you do
What is branding?
• A brand is the signature of your company
What is branding?
• A brand says everything in a simple moment
What is branding?• A brand is your identity, clearly defined
CleanRefinedClassicSimpleHumanMemorable
What is branding?• A brand is your identity, clearly defined
CleanRefinedClassicSimpleHumanMemorable
What is branding?
Branding permeates
• Your brand will touch everything you do
• Your salon will be defined by your brand
• Your work & design will be driven by your unique brand
• Even you clients will be determined by your brand
Defining your brandWho are you, anyway?
Defining your brandWho will you become?
Defining your brand• Who are you?
• What do you love?
• How would others describe you?
• Why are you in business?
• Elements that define you: food, music, art, locations
• Your personal style: fashion, home, car, art
• Your professional style: presence, style, reputation
Your turn! Defineyour current state
What is your brand now?
• What’s already done to create your brand?
• How does your team define your brand?
• What products do you carry and how are they part of your brand?
Up for change
• What do you LOVE about your brand today?
• What do you DISLIKE about your brand?
• How much can you afford to change?
• What is your ultimate goal?
• Who will support you and your evolution?
• Are you prepared to adopt change as your brand evolves?
Who is your target?
• Describe your ideal client
• What is their income and education?
• Men/women, single/married?
• What is their style (or lack of).
• What would be their values & creed?
Gen C
Create. Curate. Communicate.
Gen C
• How do you target the Connected Generation?
• Are the bored? What’s wrong with these kids?
• They are talking to each other instead of brands speaking to them.
• Span of attention. Expectations. Changing levels of trust. The love of a logo.
• I’ll be interested if you are interesting.
Up for change
• What do you LOVE about your clients today?
• What do you DISLIKE about your clients?
• What % of clients can you afford to shed?
• Who will support you and your evolution?
• Are you prepared to adopt changes to clientele as your brand evolves?
• What are your personal goals?
• How do you envision yourself in 3 or 5 years?
• What do you want to change about your clients?
• What will be your dream workday in the future?
Your turn! Defineyour desired state
Defining your brand
Defining your brand
• Brainstorm keywords that you describe what you will become Your turn!
Your tagline
• Short
• Easy to remember
• Needs Cadance
• Tells it all
• Give a clear benefit
• Try a few now!Your turn!
If you can't explain to people in three to five words what you do, then it will be hard to communicate the vision to your employees. A slogan isn't just about marketing success, but it's also about having internal customers see the vision and the mission that the company is working on.
Your visuals• Choose a theme
• Keep it simple
• Rinse. Repeat.
• Keep it relevant
• Stick to it
• Examples of Guess
Some image trendsThe glitch, women in power, instagram
Your space
• Your environment will support and build your brand
• Consider everything: furniture, mirrors, lighting, colours, plants, artwork, flooring, music, front desk, bathrooms*, closet for clothes, capes, stations, window signage, sandwich boards, sign. Every detail.
Look at all areas of your salon and business
• Your station
• Your reception
• Your back bar
• Your retail
Your space
Your space
Your spaceResources:
• Ask your distributor for help
• Visit other salons near you
• Research and look at other industries
• Try a local design school that may provide students who can help
• Remember - your space must match your brand
Your retail
Retail is one of the single most powerful sources of effective branding
• The first and last thing a client sees inside your salon
• Clients leave with the fragrance of that brand
• Retail defines colours, attitude and tone
• Product price points define your clientele
Include the people and staff around you
• Don’t do this alone!
• Get input & help
• Introduce your brand
• Get buy-in
• Be persistent
MT: Feedback model
1. Ask permission
2. State the behaviour
3. Detail the consequences
4. Delegate the responsibility back to the person to change the behaviour
Your marketing
• Look at all your marketing efforts
• For social, consider Hootsuite
• For other media (like papers, direct mail), tell your reps about your new brand and ask them to help
• Make a calendar - yes it sounds boring
• Get your team involved in the right way
Your marketing
Social media:
• Have a plan and stick to it.
• Develop content that engages your target audience
• Include images that match your message
• Assign one person in the company to create and or execute social media*
• Consider Hootsuite as a tool
Your marketing
Facebook primer:
• Use images. Make them authentic. Trends now are: women in power, glitches, luscious images of products
• Post 3 - 5 times a week.
• Combine good content with offers and promotions
• Be professional, and have a separate personal account
Your marketing
Twitter primer:
• Tweet things that matter, and be consistent
• Include images since Twitter is developing the feature
• Retweet what makes sense
• Be professional and have a separate personal account
Your marketing
Instagram primer:
• Post 2 - 5 times per week
• Make it count - don’t do it “just because”
• Shoot close, well lit. Be consistent with filters.
• Integrate hashtags or make your own - less is more and they should have a purpose. #notlikethisohmygod
Your marketing
Media primer:
• Make all your marketing match
• Get your reps in on your plans & ask for help
• Tie offers together. Example: “Post an instagram of your favorite hairstyle, hashtag it, and you could win a day in the salon.”
Marketing your brand
Online Advertising primer
• Google Adwords for straightforward ads
• Facebook for targeted campaigns
Marketing your brand
Google Adwords:
• Works by showing your ads on Google Search pages by matching “keywords”. For example, a search for “short hair” will display your ad. You only pay when somebody clicks your ad.
• You bid a price for your ad to display before your competitor’s
Marketing your brand
Defending your brand
When social media does you no favours
• Respond to negative comments on social media to preserve your brand
• Ask your clients to rate you - use a small card to encourage it.
Defending your brand
When social ratings do you no favours
• Reply when possible
• Take these as a lesson and opportunity to improve your workplace
Commit to your brand
• It’s like working out - it only works if you commit and stick to it
• Make it a filter which you pass all decisions through
• Get to love your brand - make it part of your next great move to success
Let your brand evolve
• Get regular feedback from staff, clients and people you trust
• Check your metrics - foster the winners
• Stay educated and make use of your distributor’s expertise
• Surprise (in a good way) your clients
Case study
Angelo’s Salon and Spa in Port Moody, BC is a well established salon that needed to go to the next level.
• Branded as “Experts in colour correction, cuts, spa treatments and extensions”.
Case study
New web site, new staff photos
Case studyEstablished social media programs to have Angelo’s appear at the top of Google search.
Case studyMeasured success with Google Analytics
Recap
• What branding is and why it matters to you
• How to discover your brand
• Designing your brand
• How to communicate your brand
• Using your brand to acquire, retain and grow your business
• How to build a team to support your brand
