Pulse Legacy Archive March / April 2011 | Seite 30

“I’ll often spend more time and money when I know the real benefits, and I spend more for benefits that are bigger and more significant than temporarily feel good.” —Tory Johnson, workplace contributor on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” author and CEO of New York-based Women For Hire. performs facials significantly in the Gene Juarez day spa market, often 2 to 1 in generated revenue. Being able to respond quickly to shifts in the marketplace and consumer behavior helped Gene Juarez Salons and Spas finish 2010 with a nice growth spurt and the company’s outlook for 2011 is good. “We are prepared to make swift changes if need be to optimize our performance,” says Denyer. Some of those business efforts include strong gifts-with-purchase marketing and creative e-blast offers. This year, Gene Juarez is celebrating its 40th year as the Pacific Northwest beauty authority. “We are going to do a lot of outreach and give back to the community that has supported our growth and success, as well as celebrate the wonderful professionals at Gene Juarez who made it all possible,” says Denyer. Investing on Research Spas are promoting de-stressing treatments, and manufacturers are providing de-stressing products. For example, Sothys, a French skin care brand with distribution channels worldwide, offers the Secrets Global De-stressing Cream to combat the signs of aging accelerated by stress. National sales and marketing manager Lisa Heinemann says Sothys feels de-stressing is so important that the company took it a step further. “In collaboration with Dr. Lucien Aubert, a behavioral science researcher, Sothys developed a scientific measure to quantify the well-being sensation,” she says. “The exclusive method measures the degree of psychological well-being of a person following a treatment and its de-stressing impact on the skin.” The company invests on product development extensively, updating their product formula every year and slating a minimum of two “major” product launches annually. “Sothys treatments take an average of two to three years from it’s conception, research and development [before it is incorporated into the] spa. A product may take as little as one year,” says Heinemann. Sothys, she says, keeps a close eye on the market trends and how it affects different demographics. “[Different generations] have different needs and financial means. Plus, their buying trends (ex. Online vs. mall shopping vs. commercials) vary,” she says. In response to this, she sees more spa owners looking The female share of spa clients in various spa types is as follows: 83% in Medical Spas 80% in Day Spas 72% in Resort/Hotel Spas 69% in Other Spa Categories (e.g. fitness and spa services) Source: ISPA 2010 U.S. Spa Industry Study for shorter treatments at lower costs. "Results became even more important in products, and value-added gift sets have become more popular." Speaking the Female Consumer Lingo Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Costa Rica uses ‘detox,’ ‘stress-relieving,’ ‘relaxation’ and ‘experience’ throughout its marketing materials. “As it turns out, these frequently end up as our number one sellers,” says senior spa director Todd Hewitt. “What we have found in our detox plans is the most common words and reasons given by our guests are ‘I am too stressed’ and ‘I need to try something completely different now.’” (CONTINUED ON PAGE 30) 28 PULSE ■ March/April 2011