DAY TWO: MAINSTAGE (part 1) #SalonSmart19

After a motivating introduction from Creative HEAD publisher Catherine Handcock, Salon Smart’s Magic Monday kicked off with a fabulously fresh and honest presentation by DNA Artspace owners Angelo Vallillo and and Dale Herne.

Angelo Vallilo revealed that four years ago, despite having a successful career, he was feeling uninspired and found himself asking some tough questions. “I looked at my own salon and thought ‘Would I want a job there? Does it scream about how amazing our industry is?’ At the same time, Dale Herne was feeling similarly restless in his career. “I felt I had a lot to offer education wise and wanted to be somewhere I was excited to go to work, not excited to leave.”

And so, Angleo and Dale came together and launched DNA Art Space in Nottingham. Their vision was to create a space you don’t want to leave, with a cool members club vibe. “We did it all on a budget that I didn’t even know was possible,” said Dale. “It shows that you should dream big”.

The duo invite local businesses, tattoo artists and barbers to collaborate with themin DNA Artspace, and share their ideas. “It doesn’t feel like a hair salon,” says Angelo. “We’re getting people interested in hairdressing that have never even thought about it before, just by walking past the salon”. And with re-booking targets of 55 per cent, along with the aim of getting 60 per cent of clients having colour, the standards are top notch. These targets are really high, but 16 months down the lie stylists are starting to get there,” said Dale.

“We treat new and old clients like gold,” he continued. “We grow our team from the bottom up! If it’s not done with love, it’s not done the DNA way.”  A creative space with some serious business credentials? Sounds like DNA Artspace is shaking up salons as we know them!

After 29 years as UK creative director for Vidal Sassoon, you’d think Bruce Masefield would have been in the perfect position to open his own salon. As it turned out, Bruce admitted that the leap had been genuinely frightening, admitting “It was a big journey of learning. I can cut and style hair brilliantly, I knew that, but I’m not a great businessman.” He decided to take a two year detoxifying sabbatical before diving straight into his next creative chapter in order to better himself, paying particular attention to all of the things going on outside of hair for the first time in years. After experimenting and dipping his toes in Paris Fashion Week for the first time at the not-so-tender age of 42, Bruce decided that he was ready. He had his vision, and he was ready to see it through.

“I wanted to bring back that high end, precision editorial hair back; a bit of Mayfair in Edinburgh. I always had this vison of a Parisian apartment, with a touch of Scandi,” he said. Salon vision in place, Bruce found himself focusing on the branding; more than just a finishing touch, creating the brand identity became a huge focus for him. “Branding is everything. The logo needs to communicate who we are,” he explained, gesturing to the selection of luxury brand logos on the screen. Bruce already knew what effect something as simple as a name could have, having already re-branded and re-named himself as a young stylist (bet you didn’t know his real name is Simon!).

“I’m owning the B,” he claimed, demonstrating the simple yet effective brands he’s created including B:Spoke, B:Rand and B:Connected. “We use it all the time, it’s out little hook.” Bruce spoke passionately about his responsibility as a salon owner for the first time, as well as the importance of mentoring – both for others and for yourself. Taking every opportunity to learn and adapt; taking what you’ve heard or seen, and making it work for you, filling your metaphorical toolbag to the brim so that you’re equipped to deal with as many situations as possible.

Salon Success managing director, Simon Tickler, continued his theme of our world being an island, and with the waters of cost and trend pressures starting to rise and make the island smaller, where we all stood as those tides rose… “There will be winners and losers, and certain approaches you make will decide if you’re above the tide,” he warned.

He pointed out how the one-on-one human connection hairdressers have with consumers is incredibly special (and increasingly rare in a world where shopping has become a solo, online activity) and encouraged salons to create in-depth content in this busy world that illustrates their point of difference and can demonstrate your place in the local community. “25 per cent of retailers believe technology makes client engagement more difficult,” said Simon, “but we have that engagement physically with people every day.” From the random acts of kindness by Pret a Manger, to the Museum of Ice Cream selfie emporium, he challenged attendees to think about how they extend client experiences.

And now that everyone’s a brand, how do you create a brand that everyone can connect to? It’s the three ‘F’s – feeling, form and function. “What emotions are we trying to generate? In what form will they take? And how will we get it done,” asked Simon. “Once you know, educate it and manage it.”

Creative HEAD editor, Amanda Nottage, hit the stage for a flashbulb moment to share two examples of salon brands that appeal have worked hard to encourage customers to invest their time with their businesses. In Manchester’s Northern Quarter, RCNQ’s Rob Czlapka wanted to create a venue that entices guests to visit outside of their hair appointments. Examples have included a partnership with gay film club Make a Scene, screening film, TV and pop culture classics such as Nighty Night with drag artists on hand to act out scenes; Sofar Sounds nights, a music project that transforms everyday spaces into venues for secret, live shows to create an immersive experience that brings guests and artists closer together, and twice weekly yoga classes (Don’t Namastay in Bed!) that score a 4.8 rating on ClassPass.

At Aesthetics in the Midlands, founders Adrian and Sarah Bowron recently expanded with a second salon that challenged the duo to face up to precisely how they can ensure today’s clients see their visit as a worthwhile investment, especially those who are time-poor. There’s a long table that dominates the studio, integrated with sockets and chargers at every section, so along with super speedy WiFi, clients have the opportunity to work and take the guilt away from their appointment. Stuck with the kids, or even the dog? All are welcome, with board games, cards, dominoes, iPads, doggy treats and even a swing seat in the courtyard garden to keep them amused. There are lots of areas to just relax, too – The Parlour is a great place to just sit, with lots of books. The Snug has a cocoon feel, with an open fire and low lighting. Eat lunch al fresco in a courtyard garden. Clients are welcome to stay longer than their appointment requires, a temporary but much needed escape.

Dylan Bradshaw’s namesake salon in Dublin, run with his wife Charlotte, is a shining example of hairdressing in Ireland – but it hasn’t always been easy for them. “We moved to our flagship salon in the middle of Ireland’s worst recession,” said Dylan. “There are always going to be difficulties, but you have to use them to bounce back.” After a period of ill health, Dylan decided to reduce his hours to four days a week, and manage client expectations. “It felt like a breakup,” he said. “I had to increase my prices by 50 per cent, and talked to my clients about going to other staff members or designing a cut and colour that would last longer”.

Holding onto staff, especially in an era of increasing chair rentals, has been a huge difficulty. “In Ireland, employees have the power to leave and when one person decided to go down that route, it started a pattern of staff members putting guns to our heads, demanding more money, fewer hours, and more benefits,” said Charlotte. However, there can be benefits to saying goodbye to the rotten apples in the salon. “Sometimes when someone poisonous leaves, the quieter people can excel and start coming to the forefront,” added Charlotte.

Reconsidering their spending during difficult times became a priority, and the duo had to find new ways to keep clients coming back. “To reach our goals, we started a new loyalty program to reward existing clients,” said Dylan. “It’s an aspirational thing, where clients want to make it to the next tier.” And the theme of finding your USP was also underlined by Dylan, who declared that “You shouldn’t do what everyone else does. Don’t copy and paste. We are creative people, so be creative!”

Less than three months into her new business of coaching and developing hair professionals, Jo Robertson took to the Salon Smart stage to get on her soapbox and discuss the niggling issue which annoys her more than any other: bad brand experiences. “When did we decide that doing things cheaper, with worse quality, was what we wanted?” she wondered aloud, raging against the idea of Groupon and cut-priced, underwhelming brand experiences which can actually turn you off a brand for life.

“Imagine you’ve just moved into your town. Have a search for your brand or salon with a fresh pair of eyes, like a new client would. Does that actually portray your brand how you want it to be seen?” she questioned. She urged delegates to focus on two key words: one for how an exceptional brand experience makes you feel, and the other how a negative experience has the opposite influence on your emotions. Taking a step back and trying to view your own brand from an outside perspective can be difficult but hugely rewarding. “I want an experience, expertise, pampering,” she said. “I want a service which makes me feel amazing, makes me want to tell all of my friends.” After all, isn’t that what we’re all striving for?

Pointing to consistency and identifying your ideal client, and how they would be enticed, as two key ways for salons to step up their brand experience, Jo concluded that there was little point in trying to please everyone. “Just serve your target client properly,” she insisted. Pointing to a recent seamless, personalised trip to one of the busiest Apple stores in London, Jo asked us “What is your process to making every customer feel like the only person in your salon? Why isn’t that the most important factor in your business?”

MORE SALON SMART SESSION REPORTS >