The TanWall Blog

What is a brand?

A brand is the identity of a specific product or service, which could be a name, a sign, a symbol, a combination of colors, a slogan, or a combination of those elements such as the Coca Cola brand and its classic red lettering or Apple with its apple icon.

The term “brand” came from the practice of branding cattle. Ranchers would brand their name on their cattle to mark the cattle as their property. In the 1800s certain companies started branding their crates and barrels of goods to designate their product and the practice expanded into the huge marketing science that is branding today.

Brands serve as symbols that embody all of the thoughts and associations that go with a certain product.  

As time goes on, the sum of all of the consumer experience that goes into dealing with a certain business becomes equated with that business’ brand, and the brand becomes a collection of everything the company means and stands for in the consumer’s mind.  

A brand becomes a source of familiarity and trust for the consumer. The more a brand occurs in the marketplace, the more the consumer begins to recognize and become familiar with the brand. Familiarity builds trust. If a consumer sees a brand constantly coming up in the market place, he/or she is going to assume that the company behind the brand is doing something right and must be relatively stable to be around as much as it is. The more familiar with a brand a consumer is and the more trust a consumer places on a brand, the more likely it is that the consumer is going to continue to buy that brand and stay with the brand.

A good brand will become a seal of quality for the product. Brands that last over time are brands that have become associated with a quality product. The brand itself will represent quality in the consumer’s mind. As long as quality is maintained in the product, the brand will continue to represent that quality and the consumer will know where to buy whatever it is that they need when they need it.

So now we have a better grip on what a brand is. In the next post, we will talk about why you should build your brand and what that brand can do for your tanning business.

The Overview

Have you built a solid brand for your tanning salon yet? Are you working at creating one? If you haven’t, you could be missing out on a huge portion of potential customers who are being attracted to other competitors that might have good brand names themselves.

A lot of tanning salons don’t focus as much on branding. They focus on their tanning products themselves or just rely on their location and hope business comes their way.

Now think of the psychological effects of a tanning salon storefront that just says “Sun Tans” or something else similarly generic: you’re going to drive by that place – which features the same architectural characteristics and appearance as the rest of the buildings in the local strip mall – and think, “Oh that’s interesting…tans,” and then you’re going to forget all about that place. You’ll do business at the next salon that’s convenient for you. 

If you’ve settled with a generic salon name such as “Sun Tans” or “Spray Tans” (which is getting very generic, but you get the idea), your business is missing out on market presence and potential business. All of your customers are going to leak out to other generic salons until eventually they settle with a company that has built a brand.

The key to having a growing, successful business in today’s crowded marketplace is being unique and having something to offer that differentiates you from your competitors. You have to find a niche in the market and stand out among the others. One of the best ways to do this is to develop your brand.

A brand will elevate you as a tanning salon “personality” in the tanning market and give your customers a memorable impression to retain when they walk away from your salon. Your personality will gain you customer loyalty if your customers like you and what your business stands for. Branding is a great way to do this.

Coca Cola stands as a giant in the soft drink industry because of the great branding they have done. Same with Starbucks and McDonalds and other huge names. These companies have developed a personality and a unique presence in the market and they have instilled that in their brand.

In the next post we will go over what branding is and in the following weeks we will continue with why you should brand, and how you can build your brand into a marketable personality.

Over the past month I have visited dozens of salons, some of which are busy during all business hours and others who are struggling drive more traffic in. The biggest differences I noticed between these two types of salons are cleanliness and a sense of order. Cleanliness is not just cleaning beds between customers. Having an overall clean and orderly appearance creates comfort and security for your consumer.

Having your front reception area clean is the first thing that your consumer notices. It’s important to not have stacks of paper, food, or any other clutter on the front counter. Regularly-emptied trash cans, clean seats, and clean floors are just the beginning.

Your receptionist or other employees eating at the front reception counter or even bringing food into the salon is an extreme no-no. It’s understandable that people have to eat, but the front desk of your salon is not the place to do it. I’ve walked into a salon that smelled like McDonald’s. It’s great if all of your customers like the smell of McDonald’s, but I can guess they don’t like that smell at their local salon.

Your employees’ attire should be consistent and be branded with your salon name. I have visited many salons that let their employees wear what’s comfortable for them and not what’s best for the business. Having a presentable staff who exhibit professionalism is extremely important. As an employer you have the right and responsibility to dictate what your employees look like and wear. Remember that the reception area is where customers create their first impressions.

If you don’t have enough business, start with the simple things first. Have a regimented schedule of cleaning activities for your staff and don’t eat in the salon. Have your staff dress professionally and brand your company always. There is nothing more important than your customers!