There’s nothing quite like a crisis to spur marketing creativity, and this year STAMP 2020 gave applicants an outlet to share the ingenuity through new COVID-19 categories that revolved around marketing products and gift cards and communicating with clients through the salon shutdown period. Here's Gene Juarez Salons and Spas' 'COVID-19 Client Communication campaign:

Love Notes
Gene Juarez Salons and Spas
Bellevue, WA
Owners: Highlights Salons, LLC

Like many salons, Gene Juarez’s management of the COVID-10 crisis was day-to-day. In Washington state, where all 10 of the salons and spas are located, the reopening date was pushed back from April 1 to May 31, then finally to a phased approach by county, meaning different location opened on different dates. 

To keep guests informed and engaged, Gene Juarez maintained consistent contact via email, social and through the website. As reopening plans evolved, the salon updated guests, always demonstrating that the health and safety of team members and clients was top of mind. 

“We further engaged our guests by featuring the best part of our business: our talented artists,” says Katie Trent, chief operating officer. “By collecting and sharing ‘love notes’ from guests to our employees, we injected some positivity into an unnerving time.  We also recorded and shared quarantine videos from the salon teams through social, reminding our audience that we could not wait to see them back in the salon.”