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.

Tanning industry leader just made creating a salon more cost effective, flexible and easier. TanWall™, manufacturer of modular salon wall systems understanding the challenges based on the economy and the changes and the need to be more eco-friendly, has just launched a new website using the latest in technology.

Originally Posted on PRWEB, June 11, 2009 — A California based manufacturer of modular salon walls and other tanning products has unveiled a new website for the tanning industry. The new site integrates friendly navigation, as well as an inviting UI, blogging, and an expandable framework. The new TanWall.com has been developed to take advantage of the current market with the latest in Web 2.0 and SEO techniques, and to showcase the wide range of products and choices TanWall has to offer.

In this industry, style and colors dominate the market place. Customers trying to achieve an edge over their competition and take market share from their area look to TanWall. From European styles that provide a euro look and feel to a Mediterranean color scheme with soft colorful ceramics and light ocean colors such as light lavenders and terra cotta tiles, the options and looks are only limited by the imagination.

Recently, TanWall has introduced reception counters and point of purchase displays to accent their walls. With so many colors for every product you will be tempted to sample several combinations. The new website allows you to do just that–dream, imagine, and visualize the look for your personalized salon. In the end you may add a unique touch to your shop or perhaps brand your franchise. TanWall and its staff of designers can assist you in designing the exact look and feel you want for your image.

TanWall has been designing rooms for over two decades. Its parent company, Allied Modular Building Systems, Inc., has built well over 10,000 projects in 17 countries since its inception in 1989. “We are constantly working with salon owners daily and trying new colors styles to not only fit their personality but their vision”, says Kristina Admire, National Sales Manager for TanWall.

TanWall is part of Allied Modular Building Systems, with manufacturing facilities in Nashville, Tennessee and Orange, California. Since 1989, Allied Modular Building Systems has secured its reputation as the best in the modular industry and with the recent growth of the tanning salon trade Allied Modular saw the need for an easier approach to the unique situations presented by salon designs. After providing more than a million square feet of office space, Allied Modular Building Systems launched TanWall™, providing an industry first with the innovation of SceneSations™ and SalonWall™.

For further information contact Kristina Admire at kadmire@tanwall (dot) com or call toll-free at 866-Tan-Wall or (866) 826-9255. You may also visit our website TanWall.com.