I just ran across this great column by Nina Howard of Bellanina Day Spa and the Bellanina Institute on the Day Spa Association blog. Nina and I are really like minded and have a very similar background in the spa industry. Here's what whe had to say.

"Early on in my Day Spa career I learned that branding my Spa was the single most important element to achieve value as a business. Beginning with the end in mind, you have very little to show for your years of hard work when it is time to retire and sell your business if you have a strong brand in the service business..."

Click here to read the rest of her column. My response is below:

Nina -

Once again you are right on target. There are so many aspects of branding that are important to create a cohesive image and feel for your business. These happen from the first moment your client hears about your business to the moment they leave the building after every service and beyond.

Marketing and branding also encompasses details like how your staff answers the phone, what kind of attitude they have, and how your business is involved in the community. In short, marketing and branding can involve practically everything that touches the client.

I worked with a client not too long ago that had both some big pluses and minuses in the branding department. On the plus side, they have a beautiful space, chic marketing materials and web site that all create an upscale, high-end feel. When I went in for a secret shopping visit, I noticed that even their door mat and pens had the business’ name and logo emblazed on them.

On the minus side, their company name and outside signage (beautifully done awnings, by the way) give no indication as to the type of products or services they offer. While choosing a name like “LItchfield and Company” (not their real name) may seem exclusive or classy, it gives no indication of the fact that they provide skin, nail, hair and massage services and products. That is NOT good branding!

Another example that really stood out to me was the spa’s intake forms. While I was given an expensive, beautifully logoed pen to fill this form out, the form itself was a poorly photocopied, generic intake form likely from a product manufacturer. The questions it asked were incomplete (no birthdate or email address blanks for example) and not really effective for the therapists performing the services.

While these examples do not cover the whole business, they stood out to me over many other things I saw during my visit. The point is, that all of your marketing and branding tools and efforts should guide clients in the same direction - doing more business with you.