What goes in a POP window?
The biggest investment made each year in marketing for most salons and spas is the shop front. If the business has a public presence and people passing the window it is potentially the biggest marketing opportunity and its already paying for it!
If it's paid for and can make money, big money, the question is it being maximised? Is it changed every 4-6 weeks? Is there a window section in the marketing plan and a budget?
You see with a little knowledge, a few simple tricks and a marketing plan it has the potential to make a serious difference to business growth, and I'm going to share with you how!
I'm Caroline Turner founder of The Salon Money Maker, and for over 20 years I've been training and working with industry leaders, salons and spas from around the world.
I specialise in developing the revenue skills for teams and owners to make money in a way that clients love and teams can enjoy. How to get more clients and most importantly how to keep them.
So why do I start with the salon or spas shop front, entrance, public space? Simple, it can increase revenue in minutes, if it's presented in a way that communicates with consumers.
In Part 1 of The Biggest Marketing Tool I covered the importance of first impressions and critically, invisibility, I can not stress HOW serious this is.
If the shop front is 16 feet or LESS (around 5 meters) in width NO ONE WILL SEE YOU, potential clients are walking past and have NO IDEA THE SALON EVEN EXIST!
Unless the shop front POPS.
In this article I'm going to share how to use color to attract the RIGHT clients.
Then in the next part of this series of article we'll look at the perfect layout and a technique that's SO simple and will cost you nothing to get those potential clients Walking in.
A technique that will make you laugh because it's so ridiculously simple, but can make you money, once the shop front is dressed.
So, sign up for The Revenue Newsletter so you don't miss out.
Color is used in marketing to get consumers to spend and has been used for years by big businesses. Now it's your turn!
In using color to market a business, product or service there's a lot of misconceptions, hunches (they think they know) and not a lot of hard evidence to confirm some color theories as fact.
All of my techniques come with scientific based research and years of money making experience.
Lets look at the science first, I'll Keep It Short and Simple (K.I.S.S). as best I can, but informative and useful.
By the end of the article I want you to know more about how you can use color and for that I'm going to focus on
3 key facts you can actually use
For the science I use Neuromarketing, a relatively new field of marketing research that studies consumers' sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective response to marketing stimuli and the Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding.
All of the above Translated in simple terms
How the brain, nerves system and memory react to marketing plus human behavior, what we do and why.."
Our eye's communicate with our brain using the optic nerve. We see color first and that triggers a reaction deep inside the medial temporal lobe, the region of the brain known as the limbic system. The area of the brain that's involved in;
Motivation, Emotion, Learning and Short Term MEMORY.
It's these links that gets color experts, marketeers and retail experts often jumping up and down about how color gets consumers to spend. And it does!
We can get more new clients to walk though the door and spend money potentially by using the right color and saturation and with the right salon window design.
Our subconscious (auto-pilot) has learnt from a baby though development, play, repetition and experience, that color has meaning and our brain reacts to colors.
Ever wondered why SALE signs are red?
Let me explain - Though evolution over tens of thousands of years the brain has been HOT WIRED to react to keep use alive, the Cave Dwellers brain!
Even in nature animals know RED is a sign of danger. We too use red to warn us of danager - Traffic lights, road signs, DANGER is always shown in RED. You must react, do something!
Research has proved that red increases the heart rate, breathing, and the speed of our eyes blinking.
Hormones race around our body telling us RED requires our attention.
RED SALE signs are used because it gets a reaction, we see the COLOR before we see the word and we have to check it out, take a look because we're wired to make sure its not a danger.
Consumers will look and if they, you or I like the store or NEED something we'll go in - Increasing sales by 17%!
Why should you care about Color and marketing? Because Clients See Color First
Big businesses have been using color to establish themselves in the minds / MEMORY of consumers for many years and rarely will you see established brands change their color palette.
In 2011 however, Coco Cola did change it's famous red can to white for a 4 month marketing campaign, by the end of month 1, it was stopped. Why? Consumers complained, they picked up the wrong drink mistaking diet and regular Coke, even stating on social media the drink tasted different!
But here's an interesting quote from someone who wanted the white can to stay. "Just because those who are too lazy to read pick up the wrong drink doesn't mean we should all pay the price,"
You see people see color first before the WORDS or the message - color matters and consumers like consistency, they don't like change.
In another neromarketing research study it was found the brain has developed a way to stop / filter out what we don't need to see and therefore remember.
I call it the "bouncer" and it guards our short term memory, you have to get past the bouncer when you market your salon or spa.
Ever driven somewhere and have NO memory of the journey? Walked past a friend and not seen them?
That's your BOUNCER. If we took in every image, face, building - SHOP FRONT our brain would over load, so the brain over thousands of years has developed a way to STOP what IT decides is not necessary, including your marketing, if you're not careful!
And the key way it decides what to filter? Is based on COLOR.
You see if the consumer - potential client doesn't know your salon or spa it WILL be the colors you use that they see first but only if the bouncer lets them!
If you want to get into the "MEMORY CLUB" you need to use color.
The "bouncer" research results - THIS IS KEY to getting into potential clients minds when marketing!
Black and White image
Refused entry
Black and White with partial line
Wait in line, you MAY get lucky
Bold color with high saturation
COME STRAIGHT ON IN
When marketing...
Color is far more powerful
AVOID Black and White or Black and White with partial color AS your dominate IMAGINE
Not just in the window but on all your marketing - Website, price list, everywhere!
So no Black and White photo shots or visual graphics for marketing
The bouncer doesn't like them! They may look AMAZING but they won't make you money!
Emotions and Marketing
Can we 100% say that for example yellow is OPTIMISTIC?
No, not as a FACT, this style of chart generalizes emotions and color but it's hard to find the science to prove it, that's half the problem when you look for the fact V's the waffle in my opinion, for example I found this when I was researching this article, someone wrote...
Dark Orange: ..... "It tries too hard to prove its worth and to boost its self-esteem, but when it fails, which is often, it develops a chip on its shoulder"
SERIOUSLY, DARK ORANGE HAS A CHIP ON IT'S SHOULDER!
The waffle in my opinion. Color and emotion do have links AND this type of chart can be used as a GENERAL guide but only if you look at your BRAND PERSONALITY.
Brand Dimension and Color
Brand Dimensions was a study conducted by a leading social psychologist and Professor of Marketing.
The research into Brand Dimensions looked at how consumers, AKA clients link the image of a business with key personality types and make judgments about the business.
In addition I've taken research by 2 other Professors of Marketing which was able to link certain colors with the brand personality.
So the key question... what is your salon or spa's personality?
The Key is to create the I LIKE so NEW CLIENTS walk in and for that you need Business Personality
The research found that consumers link a business with a personality.
When a person has "experience" of the business like Coca Cola, Apple or Nike for example they know the personality from experience.
BUT if a consumer has no experience, they will link the personality by color and presentation, then their sub-conscious (auto-pilot) will form an idea of what the business is like, its personality. If that personality matches what they like and want from a salon or spa then you're in with a chance!
Understanding and using this is like taking "first impressions" to a whole nother level.
There are 5 key personalities and a business in GENERAL will have 2 KEY personalities styles.
Which personality would your potential clients want?
Sincerity
Down to earth
Honest
Wholesome
Cheerful
Excitement
Darling
Spirited
Imaginative
Up-to-date
Competence
Reliable
Intelligent
Successful
Dependable
Sophisticated
Upper class
Luxury
Glamorous
Pretentious
Ruggedness
Outdoors
Rugged
Lets look at each personality in a little more detail
Sincerity
The salon / spa will be caring and homely, this personality is suited to the suburbs and area's with a higher level of families.
The research was able to prove that people linked White, Yellow and pink to this personality.
Competence
The salon /spa will be reliable, professional and consistently good in quality, performance and able to be trusted.
The research was able to prove that people linked blue, green and brown to this business personality.
Sophistication
The salon /spa will be glamorous, pretentious, charming and romantic. This is THE top end of the market in THE most expensive neighborhoods
The research was able to prove that people linked Black, soft pink and purple to this business personality.
Ruggedness
The salon /spa will be based in the country side, rural communities, surrounded by the great outdoors.
The research was able to prove that people linked brown and green to this business personality.
Ever noticed you're in a sea of blue?
If you stop in the supermarket, look in magazines, TV add's you may start to see what I mean. In fact the number 1 color for business branding is Blue followed by green, why?
It's the personality of Competence
The Second reason... research has shown both men and women like blue and green.
From a sub conscious level deep in our brain, you, I and those potential new clients, we'll have no idea we're doing it but blue and green communicates
"You can trust us"
Let's recap
Your shop front if you have people passing should / could be making you money, LOTS OF MONEY. BUT because of how our brain works if the footage is 16 foot or less (around 5 Meters) NO ONE WILL SEE YOU...
Your window has to POP and stand out using color
Fact 1 - People see color before promotion, name or image
Fact 2 - The "bouncer" LOVES - HIGH SATURATION - BRIGHT color, if you want to get into the MEMORY CLUB be BOLD
Fact 3 - People who don't know your business will link 2 personalities too your salon or spa based on color and presentation. Then they will decide if they LIKE you, if you're the best fit for what they want.
YOUR PASSING TRADE Looks at colors.
What would I do now?
Sign up for the Revenue Newsletter first, read the other articles in this series then...
Work out your personality based on the passing trade, not your personality. Have a GOOD look at what you can action to standout from your neighbors
