Pulse Legacy Archive March / April 2013 | Página 18

MEMBER PROFILE

“We are seeing
an increase in
the number
of our male
guests, and I
personally love
that because
they are more
likely to remain
loyal...”
Launched seven months after the
resort opened, Sandpearl Spa’s top drive
markets often come from New York,
Chicago, Georgia and Texas. Locals, who
make up the majority of the spa’s repeat
guests, are from Tampa, Orlando and
Sarasota.
While Vipperman admits that it
could be a challenge to not offer a price
discount in today’s economy, she says
sticking to price integrity helps the spa
create brand value, as it makes the spa
experience even more special for its
guests.
“We are seeing an increase in the
number of our male guests, and I personally love that because they are more
likely to remain loyal, more likely to
return and request the same therapist,”
she says.
According to her, it helps that the
spa does not have too many feminine
touches—which could easily drive men

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March/April 2013

away—and exudes casual comfort (i.e.
guests can order a bottle of beer in the
spa lounge). Sandpearl Spa also makes it
a point to include men-specific services
on its menu, such as the popular
Gentlemen’s Hot Towel Facial and
Sporting Foot treatment.

Menu and Products
When deciding what goes into their
service menu, Vipperman says she
doesn’t lean on trends at all; instead,
she sticks to the tried-and-tested. “What
we know based on experience is that
our guests don’t want anything too
fancy. Instead, they want treatment
names and ingredients that they recognize,” she says.
For instance, treatments with words
like “anti-aging” and “extreme hydration” are often the most popular among
the spa’s female guests.
“HydroPeptide’s anti-aging line has

done phenomenal in repeat retail sales,”
says Vipperman, adding that they
started carrying the product line late of
last year. “So far, it has contributed to
around 20 to 25 percent retail revenue to
service dollar.”
“My purchasing manager came with
it one day from a trade show,” she
recalls, adding that she generally tests
new products herself before introducing
them to her team. “I have a ‘tough’
team. They want to see results and get
technical and scientific answers. If my
team doesn’t believe in it, I am not
going to see any retail profits or benefits
which is why they need to be part of the
decision-making process,” she says.

Community-Oriented
Marketing
Vipperman says the spa engages in several
community-oriented marketing initiatives,
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