companies that have something new,
cutting-edge and happening in the industry,” says Westerbeke. This factor
provided the grounds for Gadabout’s partnership with skin-care company Skin
Authority in 2007. “We found Skin
Authority as they were just beginning to
brand themselves in the market with their
sun-protection line,” describes
Westerbeke. “At that time, we were
missing an active line that would keep us
in the forefront of resurfacing skin care.”
Once Gadabout discovered that Skin
Authority could fill their missing niche,
Westerbeke says the spa transformed its
menu to include specific treatments that
catered to the product line.
“We turn to
our partners
for ideas,
education,
innovation,
and incentive
support.”
For other spas, however, it’s their treatment menu that serves as the guide for
choosing potential partners. “Our treatment menu is the main influence when
deciding new lines and partners,” says
Timberlake. “New lines must fit in with
our spa brand, which revolves around the
message of our menu.”
Learning More
To ensure that both companies’ messages
are delivered correctly, continuing education is a must in any spa-resource partner
relationship. Timberlake says Body Bliss’
commitment to education was a dominant factor in Laguna Cliffs’ partnership
with the product company in 2010.
According to Timberlake, Body Bliss repre-
sentatives traveled from their home base
in Arizona to the Southern California spa
to lead a multi-day training session for the
staff. Body Bliss owner Nick James
worked hand-in-hand with the spa’s lead
therapist to develop protocols that married
James’ vision of his line with Laguna
Cliffs’ customer-service standards and
brand. “The training lasted three days,
and all therapists had hands-on training,”
explains Timberlake.
Wydra describes a similar experience
her spa staff had with their resource
partner Sothys USA Inc. “We started
using Sothys for seasonal promotions, and
our relationship continued to grow,” she
describes. “Sothys worked closely with us
to develop our new Cocoa Facial
Experience and the Gentleman’s Whiskey
Facial.” Wydra says during the launches in
February and April of this year, respectively, Sothys’ trainers worked with her
team for three days to develop treatment
protocols and provide hands-on training.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 38)
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September 2012