When it comes to Friday the 13th, don’t believe the “bad-luck” hype… this day can provide your salon with some awesome opportunities!
Considered an unlucky day since the 19th century, Friday the 13th brings lots of good fortune to Dana Blunt, owner of Pro Tan Tanning Center in Ottumwa, IA. On this day, she offers amazing specials and sells memberships, packages and products designed to keep guests coming back during off-peak months. Dana’s promotion has become so successful and well known that now, everyone in Ottumwa knows that Friday the 13th is the day for awesome deals at Pro Tan.
After surviving two off-peak seasons, Dana realized she needed something to encourage guests to tan during the months of July-November. “We worked with our local radio station in August,” she said, “and offered a successful tan-until-the-end-of-the-year special for $99. The next time we worked with the radio station, the ad rep suggested we offer Friday the 13th specials. Since these sales were already popular with other businesses in town, we decided it to give it a try.”
Using in-store promotions, mass emails and social media marketing, Dana blanketed the community with her Friday the 13th marketing. She also worked with her local radio station to host a live remote broadcast during the event. “Between our advertising and the popularity of these sales,” Dana said, “we don’t have to promote them as much anymore. Now, everyone knows that on Friday the 13th, we’ll have amazing sales and they come to take advantage of them.” This also includes the option of doubling any tanning package purchase for an additional $13, and 13 percent off all lotion and moisturizers. For each tanning session purchased during the sale, our guests receive 10 percent back in Bonus Bucks toward retail product purchases.
There will be only one Friday the 13th in 2014, and it couldn’t fall in a better month for salon promotions. “This year, it happens in June,” Dana said, “so start planning now. If this is your first one, make sure you offer amazing values and don’t forget to promote it as much as you can. If you do it well, it will be huge for you and turn into something you do every year!” Creating promotions designed to encourage tanners to return to the salon is the purpose of this promotion, Dana says.
A 14-year industry veteran, John "Ribby" Ribner has written hundreds of articles for IST Magazine and, as Director of Editorial Content, has also helped guide the publication's evolution. Ribby is a graduate of Central Michigan University's journalism program and has brought many years of newspaper reporting experience to his position of Head Writer. He is also the author of three novels, "Legacy of the Bear," "Prophecy of the Bear" and "World So Dark."
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