As you move into your new suite there are many opportunities that are now open to you; flexibility of schedule, offering of services, selling product, and more profit. Even if you have been at A Suite Salon for several years you may be ready for a bit of a refresh. Whatever your tenure as a suite owner your brand and branding is a major part of your business and the set up of this branding can be a very exciting process. A big key is to remember that this process should be fun. So in an effort to save you some stress, we broke down the branding process into some simple steps.
First, ask yourself, what is your brand? What do you represent? What will be your clients first impression? Branding is a combination of company philosophy, products & services, and public image. A Suite Salon has created a luxurious and modern canvas for you to fill in with you brand. The first impression a client will have is when they walk in the main door. To that end our brand can be just as important as yours. Play off that, and let your image and experience roll seamlessly from the salon entry, into the suite, to the service experience and even into the time after a client has left the salon. Make listening a part of your strategy as well. Clients will be the best source of information on how to evolve your brand to fit your goals as a business owner. Give serious thought to every segment of a clients experience and take notes. This will help you put it all together into an overall brand.
Once you have thought about what your brand is, then you can think about logos, colors, and catchphrases. There are a number of great businesses names and logos we have at A Suite Salon, and each of them have created their own brand and image, with the ultimate climax being the services they offer. SASA Hair & Makeup in Plano, TX is a good example of a business name/website/logo representing the overall experience. The name itself denotes what services are provided. Jesse Paige Studio in Mokena, IL uses photos and videos to enhance and promote her brand. Gloss Hair Studio in Wellington, FL has created fantastic shirts with the company logo. Using your name in the business name also gives a personal interaction even before a client walks in the door. A name denotes a personal guarantee or assurance of the product or service you are offering. Think of Paul Mitchell, Peter Coppola, Kevin Murphy, etc.
Just as important as the brand decisions you have made is the manner you implement the new image of your business. Plan the new roll out and strategize each element. Avoid rolling out items in piece mail as it can get confusing for you and your clients. Test any new interactions your brand will have with clients, be sure to send an email or text to yourself, a friend, and a family member. Be sure the message appears on different devices properly. Use social media to announce the new brand look and inform clients on what your business is about. Don’t forget to create your own brand hashtag on social media. Keep your hashtag simple, perhaps make it your company name, or a tagline that people will associate with your business. Before finalizing your hashtag, do your research to ensure no one else is using the same hashtag.
As was mentioned earlier, this is a process that should not be taken lightly. Be sure to give serious thought to different aspects of your brand. Talk to family members, other business owners, and clients to get their feed back on your ideas. To cut through the clutter give choices rather than open it up to all ideas. Asking someone what you should do will quickly spin you down and endless well of ideas. Remember it is your business so you ultimately have the final say. Do not think your branding efforts end the day you put a logo on the door or print business cards, this is a process that should always be evolving and changing with the different styles and demands of the client and industry. While you may not change the logo every year you may change the way you remind clients of appointments, for example while in the past you only called, now you could use the A Suite Salon app to both send an email and text message with a call to follow up. The format and wording of each should be ‘branded’ so that the brand is consistent across every medium of communication. Small items like this are what create a strong long lasting brand.
For such an exciting moment in your business A Suite Salon can help you from start to finish on the process so you can relish the moment to really shine.
