Advertising Division Re: New Product

¶ … Advertising Division

Re: New product line

Simplicity Spa and Salon has been able to generate a loyal following amongst spa-goers in the area by offering a line of 'stay-cation' day spa package services, consisting of haircuts, wraps, massages, and fitness consultations, depending on the needs of the spa-goer. Its core clientele consists of middle-aged women, most of whom are upper middle class, who desire some extra pampering and do not have the time to slip away for a full 'spa weekend.' Most come from dual-income houses and have children. Simplicity's spa services allow for such women to relax and enjoy a chance to focus 'just on themselves;' while the salon services enable them to get more 'necessary' beauty treatments such as haircuts and manicures.

Many of the women have asked if it is possible to buy the products offered at Simplicity to use at home. Originally, all of Simplicity's products were designed to be used purely 'in house.' However, in light of customer demand, it has been deemed advisable to begin offering Simplicity-line beauty products, beginning with shampoos, body scrubs, and moisturizers. The slogan for this new line of products, like the marketing our spa itself, will be summed up in one word: 'Simplify.'

This new line would allow us to build our spa and salon brand as well as generate additional revenue. Customers would buy the products after enjoying spa and salon services on-site and be reminded of their positive experience every time they lathered or lotion-ed up. This would make them more inclined to return. Friends would become aware of Simplicity Spa when they took note of the products their friends used and perhaps wish to experience the spa themselves.

In the interests of creating a cohesive brand identity for our spa, it would seem advisable that there should be a common theme uniting all of the new products offered. Health and serenity have been identified as two of the main motivators for spa-goers. Reducing weight, reducing stress, and also reducing clutter in life were cited as the top reasons that people come to Simplicity, based upon the customer response forms collected upon departure. The new line of products will be called our Simplify line. They will be sold on-site and also available through certain select salons and select retailers, like Whole Foods, to build brand awareness at venues frequented by Simplicity's customers.

The first product will be a combined shampoo and conditioner called 'Clean,' which promises to increase storage space in the bathroom and reduce the time people need to get ready, while still giving all of the benefits of the two separate products. The product will have a clean, citrus-smelling scent, and come in different types, for fine, dry, and normal hair. Each hair type will have a different color, but all will have a similar flavor profile: fine hair will be pink and grapefruit-scented; dry hair will be orange and tangerine-scented; normal hair will be pale yellow and lemon-scented. The bottle will be designed to have clean, relatively sharp edges and be transparent, stressing clarity and brevity in its design. The bottle itself will be uncluttered with wording, with only the name of the product on the front (such as Simplify: Normal) and the ingredients in fine print on the back. The product itself will have a light color, so the consumer can see through the bottle. This transparency will convey an image of trust to the consumer, stressing that there is nothing impure in the bottle. The logo of Simplicity will also be featured on the bottle, right beneath the name.

The second product will be an exfoliating body scrub, called 'Peel,' designed to firm and tone the skin. Because exfoliation means sloughing off dead skin cells, marketing such a scrub also seems to cohere with the idea of reduction and leaving the past behind. Like Clean, it will come in a geometric bottle that is transparent, except for the small beads of exfoliating substances in the liquid. The product will come in different floral-scented fragrances and pastel colors, all of which will have a slightly different 'property' for the consumer to enjoy. 'Energizing' will be pale purple and lavender; 'Rejuvenating' will smell like chamomile and be golden in tone, and 'Restorative' will smell like roses and be rose-hued.

The third product will be a moisturizer called 'Fresh' that can be used all over the face and body with a SPF of 30, designed to protect and replenish the skin. It will come in a geometric, clear bottle and be designated for dry, oily, and normal skin. The scents will be pleasurably 'sweet' to suggest indulgence and pampering. Dry skin moisturizer will be pale tan in color and chocolate-scented; oily skin will be white and vanilla-scented; normal skin will be red and cinnamon-scented. The fact that there is no need for extra moisturizers for the face, eyes, and elbows will make the product less cluttering for the user's bathroom and also reduce the time needed to get ready in the morning. All three products will be able to be 'stacked' attractively on top of one another for a beautiful as well as a functional and time-saving design.

The products will be promoted within the salon and spa. Customers who have a positive experience at the spa, and wish to recreate it at home are likely to be the most willing customers. However, as consumers are seen using the product and consumers begin to try the product at select retailers, both the brand and the Simplicity Spa image will become more widely-disseminated amongst the target public. The products are functional because of their ability to be used in a variety of fashions, yet their scents and the images they promote are extremely attractive and appealing to female consumers.

If the core product line gains traction, in the future the spa may consider adding to its line to draw in a more diverse range of customers. In the recent past, 95% of day-spa-goers were female. However, "the percentage of male patronage has increased over the past seven years to about 20-25% -- with some spa facilities claiming 50% male clientele" (Leavy 2011). Additionally, males are more apt to be interested in visiting day spas rather than extended spa visits, as a way of 'getting their feet wet' in this new experience, thus making them a viable market for Simplicity. Creating a male-targeted line of personal care products stressing 'simplicity' in one's approach to wellness and beauty might be a way to bring in this new target market.