The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
MARKETING: Using Signs to Promote Your Business
We're of the opinion that clever, smart and bold signs are underutilized to promote salons. See some examples to get the ball rolling on your next sign!
Lauren Quick・Contributor
2 min to read
Sign Language
Salons work hard to pull in new clientele, but sometimes the solution is simpler than you think. Clever, colorful and — most of all — attention-grabbing sidewalk signs and art are an easy way to show your salon’s creativity and personality and draw in passersby.
BE FUNNY. Rooks Traditional Barbershop in Portland, Oregon, knows its audience. Owner Justin King opened the shop, which now has two locations in Portland, in 2009. They gained a following in part for being the only shop in the city to offer straight-razor shaves, as well as for their complimentary beer, whiskey, bourbon and scotch. It's clear that the folks at Rooks have a good grip on what their clientele is looking for, and the marketing strategy reflects that; men often don't care to schedule appointments, appreciate a good pun and know that Christopher Walken is the man.
BE RELATABLE. To keep interest piqued in the small college town of San Luis Obispo, California, District 96 Salon owners Shannon Hillhollon, Mary Moore and Dave Bourbon typically re-chalk their sidewalk sign once a week. "But this one, drawn by stylist Jeni Torres, was so popular, we left it up longer," says receptionist Kim Handel. "People were stopping and taking pictures with it and popping their heads in to compliment us on the sign." Although Handel doesn't know how much walk-in traffic the signs actually generate for the salon, she says they definitely encourage some positive chatter about the salon around town. BE SENSITIVE. With 23 locations in 10 states, Blo dry bar franchise is growing fast. But before blowing into a new location--such as the Chelsea neighborhood of New York where a 12-station salon will open in late-April--the company wants to make it clear to both potential guests and neighboring salons that they respect the bond that clients already have with their existing hairdressers. "It's important to us to establish great relationships with the salons and hairdressers who surround our locations--in fact, we plan on referring interested clients to them for cuts and color," says Hilary Chan-Kent, chief brand officer. "We market ourselves as the neighborhood destination for maintaining salon-quality locks in between trips to the hairdresser." This message carries through on blomedry.com, which states: "Scissors are verboten. Dye, ditto. No cuts, no color: Just wash, blo and go."
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