The Studio Salon
Public Relations Campaign
December 2011
Simone Smugar
Shippensburg University
2
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
THE STUDIO SALON
13 West King Street
Shippensburg, PA 17257
Phone: 717 – 532 – 5102
contact@thestudiosalon.net
http://www.thestudiosalon.net/tss/
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary
II. Situation Analysis
Pages
4-5
6 – 14
III. Target Public
15 - 19
IV. Strategy
20 - 23
V. Goals, Objectives and Tactics
VI. Timeline and Budget
VII. Evaluation and Contingencies
VIII.
Appendix
3
24 - 27
28 - 30
31 - 35
36 – 51
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
I. Executive Summary
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This campaign outlines how The Studio Salon can achieve their goal of awareness among
Shippensburg University students in addition to increasing revenue and awareness from other
areas. Through in depth and comprehensive research, this campaign has been able to pinpoint the
ideal client for The Studio Salon to market to as well as the ways in which to target them. The salon
owner, Jen Rosenberry, is extremely dedicated to attaining the goals in order to make her salon
exceptional.
The Studio Salon of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania is a privately owned and run hair salon that
provides a multitude of beauty, hair and nail services to the surrounding area. They are a
standalone salon with a small staff and an intimate atmosphere that matches the needs and desires
of their clientele. They offer beauty, hair and nail services mainly to women, ages 16 to 55, but they
also offer hair services to men and children. They are located in the center of town in a widely
accessible and marketable area. Their signage is prominent and they are located next to Knutes Pub
and Grille, a very popular local bar where many townspeople frequent as well as university
students.
Their revenue comes directly from services and products sold throughout each fiscal year and
they currently have a solid base of both walk-in and returning customers. The list of returning
clients at The Studio Salon consists mainly of townspeople and other locals. This suffices the salon
but their main goal is to market to and obtain clients from the nearby located Shippensburg
University. The university boasts roughly 6,600 undergraduate students and 1,000 graduate
students, therefore opening the doors to over 7,000 potential clients. This number may not seem
large, but Shippensburg, Pennsylvania (the town) is a small area with a population of only [roughly]
6000 townspeople.
The Studio Salon will need to work hard in order to reap the full benefits of this plan. The
research regarding target markets and primary prospects included in this campaign is merely an
overview compared to what could be achieved through constant media monitoring and other forms
of primary and secondary research. They must also understand their clients’ wants and needs and
more importantly, how to market directly towards those feelings. The tactics in this plan will take
constant updating as they are all on a case by case basis. These tactics can be implemented by
season, by quarter or for holiday / occasional purposes.
The Studio Salon has been in second place for too long. Their image and brand are outdated and
this campaign can give them the chance to be the frontrunners in their own campaign. Creating a
new idea of an established business is difficult, especially in a small town such as Shippensburg, but
through constant promotion, The Studio Salon can put themselves in everyone’s mind. Through an
entire rebranding featuring image building, awareness building and message building, The Studio
Salon can create - and show off – their upscale and exclusive image.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
II. Situation Analysis
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The Studio Salon is a privately owned salon located on King Street in Shippensburg,
Pennsylvania. This salon has been in town for the past two years and caters both the townspeople
of Shippensburg and students from Shippensburg University. Due to the small proximity of
Shippensburg, there are many potential clients due to their few choices for personalized hair care.
The Studio Salon offers upscale hair styles and many different options, which are a rare commodity
in a small town. Its personal atmosphere and small staff are one of the main reasons that The Studio
Salon has so many returning, happy clients. It strives to keep its clients happy by remaining
relevant and trendy while providing extraordinary service.
Mission and Goals
The Studio Salon does not currently have a mission statement, but that is something it would
like to create during this project. Upon speaking to Jen Rosenberry, the owner and manager of The
Studio Salon, I discovered core values that are important to both the staff and customers. The
establishment sets themselves apart with its variety of services, dedication to their clients – be it
returning or walk in – and overall commitment to excellence. Their main priorities are to keep
returning clients as well as recruit new ones. When asked what sets The Studio Salon apart from
any other hair salon, Jen explained it was their pledge to giving 100 percent effort towards each and
every customer. Throughout my plan, I will strive to design a mission statement that Studio Salon
can present to their customers as a strong and accurate representation of what their business
stands for.
History
The Studio Salon has been located on King Street for a little over two years, but it was
purchased by Jen Rosenberry on August 13th, 2010. The previous owner of The Studio Salon, Lisa
Skiles, used to manage a clothing store called “Pin Ups – Fine Apparel”. She began with a small hair
cutting station located in the back of her boutique, called “Back of the House”. Lisa has over 20
years of experience in the industry and 15 years as a salon owner (of various types) which qualified
her to create such an unlikely hybridized establishment. The salon portion of the store quickly
became popular due its trendy and fashionable styles. This prompted her to open The Studio Salon
directly next store and manage both under her name. Due to the growing success of The Studio
Salon, Lisa realized that she was unable to manage both establishments and turned over the salon
to Jen and focused mainly on her clothing store. Unfortunately, the store went under and now the
previous owner is an employee at The Studio Salon.
The staff is made up of six women total, Jen Rosenberry, the owner and manager; Lisa Skiles,
the previous owner: Jessi Alspaugh, Jess Ott, Gabrielle Trinkle, and Tasha Tover. Out of this small
staff, one woman is a receptionist and does not provide any of the services. Therefore, only five
women handle all of the hair, makeup and nail services provided by the salon, on site and on
location. Additionally, within this small group, only two of the women are trained in nail services
and therefore create a narrow time frame in which patrons can acquire those services.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Industry Information
More than 250,000 businesses in the United States are classified as beauty salons, which can
be defined as an establishment that offer primarily hair care and nail treatments. Additional services,
such as skin care, tanning, massages, hair removal (laser or waxing) and exfoliation are considered
spa services and can be added on to any beauty salon if there are trained employees for each service.
If an establishment provides all of these services in one location, they are considered a day spa.
Statistically, the most popular beauty services are pedicures and waxing. Moreover, there are
currently over 845,000 persons employed in the beauty industry in the United States1. About 44%
of these workers are self employed. Some own their own salon or lease booth / chair space from an
established salon owner, but many self-employed cosmetologists run their business from their
homes or a rented space.
To work at a beauty salon, you must first have been professionally trained. “All States
require barbers, cosmetologists, and other personal appearance workers to be licensed, with the
exception of shampooers. Qualifications for a license vary by State, but generally a person must
have a high school diploma or GED, be at least 16 years old, and have graduated from a Statelicensed barber or cosmetology school. After graduating from a State approved training program,
students take a State licensing examination. The exam consists of a written test and, in some cases,
a practical test of styling skills or an oral examination. In many States, cosmetology training may be
credited toward a barbering license, and vice versa, and a few States combine the two licenses. Most
States require separate licensing examinations for manicurists, pedicurists, and skin care
specialists. A fee is usually required upon application for a license, and periodic license renewals
may be necessary.” 2
These workers can be trained to perform many different services such as:









1
2
Shampooing and conditioning hair
Cutting hair
Styling hair
Styling hair for events / occasions
Repairing damaged hair
Perform nail services such as:
o Manicures
o Pedicures
o Polishing
o Nail extensions
Apply makeup
Perform massages
Perform hair removal via waxing or laser treatments
As of 2010 marketing research reports
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos332.htm#nature
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Cosmetologists are also taught to how to act in various salon environments, how to deal with
crisis situations and how to perform outstanding customer service. In addition, if a cosmetology
school has a salon that they frequently send their graduates to, they may instruct them on the
specifics of the brand carried by that salon. If not, it is up to each salon owner to educate their
employees on the brands of products they sell in their salons. Another skill that is taught to all
cosmetology students is how to work with financial and client information. Many salons, especially
upscale locations, have their newer employees “pay their dues” by working in low level positions
before moving up to actually performing services. For some, this may mean a desk job where they
will be in charge of appointments, ordering supplies and products, keeping business and inventory
records and working with advertising.
Salons differ in hours of operation depending on their owners. Privately owned salons may
create a more relaxed schedule, where they only work when they have appointments booked and
do not see walk-ins, others work short hours or not every day of the week. Salons that are part of a
chain have their hours regulated by their corporations and therefore have a “normal” MondaySaturday, 9AM-9PM work schedule. In chain salons, it is more likely for the owner or store manager
to be present in the mornings and encourage their staff to book their more difficult appointments
accordingly.
The current economy is shaky and has put pressure on consumers to cut back on frivolous and
unnecessary spending. Unfortunately, salon services took a large hit as many women opted for DIY.
As the economy gets back up, the salon industry will see a rise in sales but at this current moment,
their profits are down. Salons differ in employee earnings due to many factors, such as the size,
location, and popularity of the salon. These can create differences in revenue and therefore salary of
each employee. Some salons pay their employees purely for their hours worked and allow them to
keep any cash tips, while others allow their workers to receive commissions based on the price of
the service / products they sell. Moreover, some salons can afford to give their employees bonuses
for a variety of reasons such as outstanding work or holidays. “Median hourly wages in May 2008
for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, including tips and commission, were $11.13. The
middle 50 percent earned between $8.57 and $15.03. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.47,
and the highest 10 percent earned more than $20.41.”3
Current Numbers
Quarterly revenue for The Studio Salon is $40-50,000 in services and $4-5,000 in retail.4
The salon offers a variety of hair, nail, makeup and waxing services that can be done both in store
and on location. Within these services, the most lucrative are those pertaining to hair coloring. Due
to the high level of training needed to perform such a delicate task, the clients of The Studio Salon
are willing to pay a higher price in order to have the service performed correctly. Another reason
that this service is so profitable is that it must be repeated every six to eight weeks as the dye fades
3
4
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos332.htm#nature
Personal Interview: Jen Rosenberry Sept. 2011
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
out. Many of these clients are on the older end of The Studio Salon’s demographic and have the
appropriate income to pay for these services on a regular basis.
Another large source of revenue is event services including hair, nails and makeup. Clients
who are attending upscale events choose to The Studio Salon over competitors due to their “onestop-shop” appeal. If a client books a large time frame for their appointment, they can receive
multiple services at once. Proms, weddings and other such events are prime examples of such
instances. Another reason clients may choose to book a multi-service appointment is to obtain all of
their beauty services in one quick and easy visit.
As the numbers above show, products are ten percent of The Studio Salon’s quarterly
revenue. Products include: shampoo, conditioner, styling gel, hair spray, defrizzing serums and
specialty products, such as those for curly, fine, or color treated hair. If you have received a hair
service, The Studio Salon offers recommendations on which types of products to purchase to best
suit your hair color and consistency.
At this current time, The Studio Salon does not want to add any additional services to their
repertoire, except for possibly learning extensions.
Services5
Aside from the newer services, Jen has always kept the same prices in order to create continuity
for clients. The Studio Salon offers basic men, women and children’s haircuts as well the following
services (complete with prices):

Hair:
o
Cut


5
Women ($26)
 High School Age ($24)
 Middle School Age ($22)
 Elementary Age ($16)
 Preschool Age ($12)
 Conditioning Treatment ($10-20)
 Bang Trim ($3-5)
Men ($17)
 High School Age ($16)
 Middle School Age ($15)
 Elementary Age ($14)
 Preschool Age ($10)
 Conditioning Treatment ($10-20)
http://www.thestudiosalon.net/tss/
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Nails:
o
o
o
o
Bang Trim ($3-5)
Color
 All Over Color ($40)
 Men’s Color ($20-30)
 Soap Cap ($15 and up)
 Highlights / Lowlights ($10-20)
 Corrective Color (Requires Consult)
Perms
 Long ($65)
 Medium ($60)
 Short ($55)
 Partial ($50)
Straightening ($40-55)
Styling
 Shampoo and Blow Dry ($16)
 Up Dos and Event Styles ($45)
Razor / Texture Cutting
Feather Extensions
“Bling Highlights”
Manicures ($20)
Pedicures ($30)
ManiPedi ($45)
Gel Polish

Waxing:
o Eyebrows ($10)
o Lip ($10)
o Chin ($10)
o Face ($10-40)
o Arms ($30)

Makeup :
o Application ($25)
o Lessons ($25)
On-Location Hair Styling
Parties / Events


Product Brands

Paul Mitchell
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Bed Head
Rockaholic
Aquage
OPI Nail Polish
Competition
The Studio Salon is privately owned and run and therefore doesn’t see competition in chain
hair salons. While this may not be a hardened fact, the employees and their owner agree that their
services are more specialized than those performed at chain locations. Also, they believe that their
variety of services sets them apart from a location that provides simple hair services. This logic is
also applied to other salon establishments such as nail salons, which offer similar services including
manicures, pedicures and waxing services.
Within the town limits of Shippensburg, there are very few hair salon options. In addition to
The Studio Salon, there are two other well-known, privately owned salons: ‘Heads Will Turn’ and
‘The Hair Cottage’. The Studio Salon sees The Hair Cottage as its number-one local competition.
While The Studio Salon works within an actual salon-style shop, The Hair Cottage is run out of a
home on Orange Street that has been converted to a salon. There are many facts that make The Hair
Cottage an apparent rival for The Studio Salon, their similarity in services, prices and hours of
availability. Contrastingly, there are large differences between the two. The Hair Cottage sells
handmade jewelry and personalized apparel, which gives customers an even stronger bond with
the salon. Their biggest difference is that The Hair Cottage offers a 10 percent discount to
Shippensburg University students with ID. This is not yet an option at The Studio Salon and
therefore drives the target public towards their competitor.
Additionally, The Studio Salon and The Hair Cottage have deeper rivalry than just their
customer base and service fees - over half of The Studio Salon employees, including Jen, are former
employees of The Hair Cottage. The women have all left for the same reason– they believe that The
Hair Cottage does not pay attention to the customers’ needs and wants and simply sees them as
another dollar. Based off of these events, the women of The Studio Salon have vowed to always
provide exceptional services.
Problem Statement
Due to the newness of The Studio Salon coupled with the small staff size, they do not intend
on changing or upgrading their services at this time. However, their main concern is creating a
better relationship with the students of Shippensburg University that will result in an increase in
student clientele, therefore creating a solid client base as well in an increase in revenue. The Studio
Salon offers weekly specials available to all clients, scheduled or walk-ins, but due to their limited
advertising efforts, not many of these clients are able to benefit from these offers.
Technologically speaking, The Studio Salon is a forerunner. Unlike their biggest
competition, The Hair Cottage, The Studio Salon features a website in addition to their Facebook
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page. This website is well designed, easy to navigate and provides users with all the information
they need regarding the salon. All of the services, along with prices, are laid out in a simple fashion.
Their contact information is prominently displayed on every page, giving the customer the option
to call at any point. In addition, The Studio Salon Facebook page is frequently updated with specials,
pictures and statuses encouraging customers to stop by. They also use this to update their followers
with new products, new services or deals. Lastly, The Studio Salon Facebook page currently has 215
“likes”, has four photo albums featuring events, products and services, and provides a direct link to
their website.
University Awareness
Currently, The Studio Salon only accepts discounts for Bard Cards – a discount card
provided to the residents of Bard Townhouses, an off-campus housing complex that houses
primarily university students, as well as marketing to them directly with door-to-door offers. Their
ties to the many other areas of the university are very weak – their only marketing attempts are by
posting coupons and offers through boards on campus, such as those in the CUB and academic
buildings (currently only in John L. Grove College of Business and Dauphin Humanities Center).
They do not advertise in the residence halls and other buildings such as the library and the campus
recreational exercise facility, where there is a constant flow of students.
Additionally, they have no relationship at all with Creekside, Brookside and Madison Court
Apartments, a housing complex that has almost 800 residents; all of which are university students.
Britton Court and Hot Point Commons, two smaller student-based off campus residences, are also
not targeted, as well as students who reside in rented houses in town such as the houses on Richard
Street.
Community Awareness
Despite the owner’s assurance of having a solid in-town clientele base, the only local
businesses that they advertise with are supermarkets, Laundromats and other establishments that
feature community boards. This is not the most effective way of gaining attention due to the
cluttered nature of bulletin boards. Also, these locations are places where patrons typically do not
pay attention to anything except the task at hand/what they came there for and usually do not take
the time to look at the information displayed.
While their main priority is to gain awareness and clients from the university, The Studio
Salon would also like to have a solid hold on the community. According to Jen, 65 percent of their
customers are returning members that reside in-town and return for the same services every visit.
Within this percentage, many are not aware of coupons or deals due to poor advertising. The Studio
Salon would benefit from providing coupons advertised in town-wide mailings or community
newsletters. Out of these 65 percent, over half of them are women ages 35 to 55 who may not be
following The Studio Salon through their technological outlets. Therefore, The Studio Salon aims to
cover all its bases by using target marketing.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
The Studio Salon already employs tactics that will help them to achieve their goals but would like to
upgrade those tactics in order to obtain the most benefits. The strengths include:

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
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Giving 100 percent effort to every client
Continuous attempts to advertise
Use of coupons and specials
Willingness to change and work with public relations in order to improve
Newness and relevancy in fashions and techniques
Personal experience
Dedication to clients
Weaknesses:
The weaknesses of The Studio Salon are few and far between, but there are things holding them
back from having the kind of business they crave. These include:





Size of the shop
o One waxing station
o Two pedicure chairs
o Two manicure tables
o Three hairstyling stations
Availability of time slots
Small staff
Difficulty of booking multi-service appointments
Obvious competition with The Hair Cottage
*Note: The size of the shop limits the amount of stations that can physically be offered by the salon. This is an
unchangeable weakness, as The Studio Salon has no intention of moving to an alternative location*
Opportunities:
At this stage, the opportunities for The Studio Salon are vast. They currently engage in little
to no advertising and their main client base stems from in-town customers. Their goal for
awareness from university students can easily be obtained if they implement this campaign.
Threats:
The main threat of The Studio Salon is their aversion to large amount of change. While there
is not a feasible budget to obtain a larger space, hire more staff or become the upscale salon they
see themselves as, they still have the ability to run a decent and well-promoted salon.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
III. Target Public
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
The key publics of The Studio Salon can be determined by using the formula P + V = I
(potential + vulnerability = importance).6 This means that by looking at a key public’s potential to
influence The Studio Salon and their vulnerability to what that key public can or cannot do.
Separating the key publics of The Studio Salon can be simplified down to this: townspeople, with
which they already have a solid and defined relationship versus university students which
represents a connection yet to be made. Breaking it down farther than that, it can be seen that while
The Studio Salon offers services to children and men, about 85 percent of their clientele are women.
These statistics infer that female students from Shippensburg University would be the ideal
target of a public relations campaign. In order to reach the maximum potential of the campaign, we
are using targeted marketing to pinpoint the exact kind of girl that would be most interested in
repeatedly acquiring services from The Studio Salon, as well as advertising to her friends.
Therefore, the target publics have been separated into three categories: “Lexie” (Primary), “Female
University Students” (Secondary) and “Townspeople” (Tertiary).
“Lexie” (Primary)7
In order to create the most lucrative and effective public relations campaign, there needs to
be a clear cut idea of who the salon is marketing to. In doing that, the research becomes a profile of
a girl with expensive taste, an eye for fashion and an air of exclusivity. For the purposes of this
campaign, this girl is called “Lexie”. Lexie is 20 years old and is a member of a prominent sorority
on campus, therefore attending many events throughout the year where she must look fashionable
as well as professional in front of her peers. She is relatively wealthy, especially in comparison to
her peers. Her parents are paying all of her expenses while away at college, including non-essentials
such as clothing and beauty services. Lexie has been regularly getting services such as manicures
for over five years and is accustomed to looking stylish and attractive. Her hair features
professionally done color and her eyebrows are meticulously waxed. Perhaps the area in which she
lives is more affluent than Shippensburg and has more options for her to indulge in this behavior
but out here, The Studio Salon is one of the only locations that can offer her all of those services in
one convenient location while still remaining elite. This is the girl that The Studio Salon should
focus their efforts on marketing to because she has the mentality, the motivation and the money.
Sororities
The ideal of Lexie can be found in different areas on campus but is most prominently
associated with one group: sorority girls. Young females within this demographic travel in packs
that commonly make decisions based on the opinions of the other members. Despite the devotion
to the group, each girl is constantly attempting to set herself apart as the leader in any particular
area, but the most coveted is appearance. If a group is knit tightly enough, it only takes female to
convince another of the worthwhile properties of her decision and the others will quickly follow
suit. Within a college campus, the most prevalent example of this is within sororities and (the
6
7
“Strategic Public Relations Management”, 2nd Edition, Erica Weintraub Austin and Bruce E. Pinkleton
Personal interview with ‘Unnamed Female’ from Shippensburg University
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female portion of) co-ed fraternities. Many of the girls fit the “Lexie” persona and would be willing
to purchase services for a slightly upscale price in order to achieve their goal.
Using this knowledge, I attempted to hold a focus group for the female presidents and
representatives of Greek life within the Shippensburg campus. During this focus group, the girls
would first listen to a short presentation about the services and features of The Studio Salon,
followed by a short questionnaire about which services apply to each individual sorority and
ending with an open forum discussing the pros and cons of acquiring services from the salon. This
focus group would have narrowed the demographic down to an exact image of the type of girl that
The Studio Salon should be focusing the majority of their advertising time and money towards.
Unfortunately, despite multiple attempts to reach out both electronically and in person, I was
unable to connect with anyone involved in Greek life. Therefore, I have no measurement of
reactions to the proposed plan.
Female University Students (Secondary)
This section provides a broad overview of female university students ranging from 18 – 22
years old (based on the mean ages of traditional, four-year students).This age group is obsessed
with technology, social media and getting their information faster than ever. They are far less
concerned with the future and are mainly interested in what this product or service can do for this
at this exact moment in their lives. Since they have left their family structure behind for an
independent lifestyle, these women believe themselves to be strong and knowledgeable. They have
not yet embarked on creating their own career or family and therefore revel in their lack of ties to
anyone but themselves. This instills a “me, me, me” mentality in most women in this age bracket.
Some of the most important categories of their lives consist of health (eating right, exercising, etc),
beauty, fashion and technology. Their vulnerability as an age group makes them easy targets for
many different marketing techniques. Their quick-fix attitudes lead to split decision spending and
therefore, more consumerism.
To reach women 18-22, organizations must go to them. These days, advertisements that run
along the edges of their Facebooks and other sites will get women’s attention better than a
television commercial.8 The key with online marketing is to engage in a conversation with the
target audience by keeping them updated, informed and sending them exclusive offers. Lastly, all
advertising has to be mobile. If a female sees an enticing ad on her smartphone, there is nothing
stopping her from clicking “purchase” and buying it right then. Another way to get to these women
is to “invade” campus. A very popular example of this is Victoria’s Secret’s deal with a few select
universities (such as Penn State) to create a joint fashion line featuring the logo and emblem of the
school along with the coveted “PINK” by Victoria’s Secret label. This is marketing genius, a two-forone deal that includes exclusive and expensive merchandise: campus wear and Victoria’s Secret
products.
8
http://www.ehow.com/way_5147854_ways-target-something-market.html
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Townspeople9 (Tertiary)
The townspeople of Shippensburg are strongly represented, with the bulk of their clients
being women, ages 35 – 55, who are repeat customers and live within a 20 mile radius of the salon.
This particular demographic has changed a lot over the past ten years. These women are defined by
their need to discuss everything in their lives either before, as or after it happens. As technology
evolves, these women have fought to keep up with it, earning them the title of the largest group of
online spenders. Despite this online shopping, they are difficult to market directly because they are
not compulsive and plan their spending ahead of time, especially when it comes to luxuries such as
manicures and hairstyling.
Various marketing information contains similar information about how to approach and
successfully reach this targeted group of women. Specifically targeting the type of customer you
hope to have is the only way that a company will bring in the “right” kind of business. The women in
Shippensburg are mainly rural women and may not be as well educated on the latest fashions as
similar aged women in Philadelphia. The Studio Salon takes into account who their audience is and
how to correctly market directly to their wants and needs. Within this demographic, there are many
different subcategories, each with their own agenda.
9

Single Mothers
o Focused on:
 Providing for children
 Making more money
 Finding a partner
 Spending more time with children
o Would ideally work from home
o Independent and powerful
o Inherent social climbers
o Appearance is highly important

Stay-at-Home Mothers
o Low percentage of demographic
o High value on maintaining family unit
o Marketing to both mom and family
o Social with other mothers
o High value on serving the needs of others
o Does not pay enough attention to own needs

Working Mothers
o Very large percentage of demographic
o Managing multiple things at once
http://blog.clickbooth.com/2010/02/22/marketing-to-women-ages-35-55-part-1/
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
o
o
o
o
19
Always on the go
Ambitious and determined
Craves more family time
 Great value in products or services that save time
Understands the importance of appearance in the workplace
 Takes time to work on health and beauty

Married Women without Children
o Very low percentage
o Well educated
o Well established
o Freedom, Independence and Power
o More frivolous with money (“me” factor)
o Puts the most value on having fun than other women

Single, Not Married and Without Children
o Smallest percentage
o Mainly interested in:
 Completing education
 Finding a partner
 Settling down
 Starting a family
o Take very good care of themselves (health and beauty)
This age group as a whole relies heavily on strategic shopping so that they can receive the
most product / service for their time and money. This means they also care about a product or
service that will last them for a set period of time. Lastly, women rely heavily on the opinions of
others in regards to using a product or visiting an establishment. These opinions can come from
online reviews, television programs, consumer reports, word of mouth or gossip. All of these are
factors that women weigh in on before making a decision.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
IV. Strategy
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“At The Studio Salon, you don’t leave with a look; you leave with an image.”
The above statement is the newly proposed slogan of The Studio Salon. In order to have the
exclusivity factor that they so desire, The Studio Salon must reach higher to obtain top notch clients.
Having a slogan creates brand identity, which is defined as “the visible elements of a brand (such as
colors, design, logotype, name, symbol) that together identify and distinguish the brand in the
consumers’ mind”. 10 Based on the lack of awareness from both the town and the university,
rebranding the entire image of The Studio Salon may be an effective change in order to reacquaint
the target market with the salon.
Moreover, the slogan is not the only thing proposed to change. Due to their small staff size,
their limited client pool and small advertising budget, The Studio Salon has not made large attempts
to advertise to the public. When The Studio Salon was part of the Pinups Apparel brand, they
created banners and other monikers to display around both the town and the university in order to
gain awareness. Also, because Pinups was the dominant business, their name is displayed much
larger than The Studio Salon. In addition to the large name, only the website and contact
information for Pinups is displayed. However, since Pinups has closed, The Studio Salon has not
updated any of these signs. This is confusing to the public, as they do not understand which
company is which or where to find the services they need.
Mission Statement
My situation analysis established that The Studio Salon does not currently have a mission
statement and has tasked this campaign with providing one. Their website features this statement
in their “About Us” section: “We believe looking good and feeling good are mutually dependent, and
our range of service and product offerings are designed around this concept”. In order to turn that
belief into a mission statement, more of their core values had to be evaluated and turned into a
statement that clearly represents the overall soul of The Studio Salon.
Therefore, I propose the following as the new mission statement of The Studio Salon:
“At The Studio Salon, we strive to exceed expectations by providing the best services to our
customers. We are dedicated to remaining educated about the current products, services
and changes to the salon industry. We believe in a personal relationship with each client as
well providing services that exemplifies their individual style. It is our responsibility to
maintain the highest level of professionalism at all times. We pledge to always go the extra
mile to achieve this mission and uphold incomparable standards.”
Targeted Marketing
The definition of target market is “a specific group of consumers in which a company aims
its products and services”.11 By creating a specified target market, The Studio Salon will be able to
focus their time and money into a campaign that will yield results without being wasteful. The main
10
11
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/brand-identity.html
http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82498.html
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
issue that The Studio Salon struggles with is their want for change without the ability to do so. By
that I mean that while their prices are slightly out of reach for most college students, they are still
interested in marketing directly to them. Changing the way that they market and advertise to these
students could make the desired impact on traffic and revenue.
During discussions with Jen Rosenberry, she has made it clear that they do not want to
change their prices or become a “bargain brand” hair salon.12 Therefore, offering things such as
coupons and discounts are not tactics that they could feel comfortable enacting unless there was
substantial research to prove them effective. This is where identifying a target market becomes
necessary. Not only does this enable them to create messages and campaigns that speak directly
towards the type of people they would like to attend their salon but in turn, it allows that market to
feel exclusive, included and therefore more likely to positively respond. In addition, this strategy
will ensure longevity because the same ideas can be applied to different situations, including
acquiring alternative publics.
Their salon is one of a kind in Shippensburg and refuses to compromise their elite status by
changing their image. Thus, the word “exclusivity” summarizes the feel of the proposed strategy.
Customers at The Studio Salon choose its high-end look and feel because they are more dedicated to
timely and trendy salon services. Likewise, The Studio Salon strives to be above the fold when it
comes to fashions and prides itself on providing its clients with the latest and best options
available. The strategy behind this campaign is made up of four steps: research, analyze, plan and
execute. By following these steps, The Studio Salon will be able to reach their goal of reaching more
university students more effectively and efficiently.
Research
The research provided in this campaign coupled with the intended client type has created a
specific character. By locking in on this type of specific individual, The Studio Salon can create
advertising and marketing techniques geared towards this exact person.
This client, who we have previously labeled as “Lexie”, contains the following features:










12
Age: 18 – 25
Female
In sorority
Very sociable
Current University student
Wealthy in comparison to peers
Possesses credit/debit card paid for by parents
Regularly getting salon services for over five years
Committed to continuing salon services during semester
Enjoys being ahead of her peers with regards to fashion
Personal Interview: Jen Rosenberry Sept. 2011
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign


23
Easily persuaded to try new things
Committed to current trends
After creating this particular girl, The Studio Salon can further research marketing techniques
suited for her needs. Even though she possesses a higher level of wealth than her peers, Lexie is still
a college student and conscious of her purchasing. If presented with a deal such as a percentage off
of a service, she would be more inclined to pay for a second service with the difference instead of
simply saving. Therefore, creating a discount or providing her with a coupon would not likely create
a drop in revenue. Research also shows that this demographic requires that the marketer must go
to them in order to make an impact.13 Ergo, The Studio Salon must make a push towards advertising
on-campus and within campus media. Their personalized ads, such as mailers or coupons, must be
sent directly to those who would take action.
Analyze
When all of the research has been collected, The Studio Salon can analyze the information
and proceed to brainstorm ways to directly reach these women. Compiling a list of their most
desirable services – by Lexie’s standards – it is decided that hair cut and color, eyebrow waxing and
combination manicure/pedicures are the three most common salon services purchased. Another
service that is currently under marketed at The Studio Salon is their on-location makeup and hair
services. They offer package deals in which a small team of employees come to your house, or
another specified location, and provide services for either a single client or a group. This can be
used for events such as weddings, proms and other important occasions. Lexie is categorized as
being very sociable, therefore having friends to invite as well as places to go. Now that they have
the knowledge of WHAT to market to WHOM, they can begin setting goals and planning tactics in
order to reach them directly.
Plan
Deciding on which tactics will most accurately accomplish their goals will be the toughest
task. In order to understand which tactics to choose, The Studio Salon must examine the research
done on the primary prospects and figure out how to market directly to them. Cross referencing the
tactics with marketing strategies will give them the most accurate results as well as paint a picture
of how to reach the primary prospects most directly.
Execute
This is the final stage of the strategy, where all of the research culminates into a solid plan
that The Studio Salon can use to effectively and efficiently achieve their goals.
13
http://www.ehow.com/way_5147854_ways-target-something-market.html
Smugar | December 2011
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
V. Goals, Objectives and Tactics
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The overarching theme of this campaign is exclusivity. In order to promote that, there needs to
be an increase in awareness from the university students and from the community. Upon
researching the industry and The Studio Salon itself, the conclusion drawn is that targeted
marketing is the most beneficial way for The Studio Salon to create the kind of awareness that will
profit their business. Each goal, objective and tactic described will be applied directly to the target
public and marketed in a way that will make them feel exclusive and motivated to obtain a service
from The Studio Salon.





Goal 1: To increase overall revenue from both product sales and services.
o
Objective 1A: Raise service sales by 12 percent by March 2012.
o
Objective 1B: Raise product sales by 8 percent by March 2012.
Goal 2: To increase overall traffic of key publics.
o
Objective 2A: Increase overall number of appointments made by 15 percent by April
2012.
o
Objective 2B: Increase number of appointments made by key publics by 10 percent
by May 2012.
o
Objective 2C: Position 25 percent more awareness tactics in locations frequented by
key publics by March 2012.
Goal 3: To better identify primary prospects through further research and analyze
how to target them directly.
o
Objective 3A: Train receptionist position to engage in two kinds of secondary
research regarding current trends and marketing techniques towards primary
prospects by February 2012.
o
Objective 3B: Have all research compiled by receptionist by April 2012.
Goal 4: To shift resources to primary prospects in order to maximize both sales and
traffic.
o
Objective 4A: Create two awareness tactics specialized towards primary prospects
by February 2012.
o
Objective 4B: Increase revenue from primary prospects by 10 percent by June 2012.
o
Objective 4C: Increase revenue from on-site services by 5 percent by June 2012.
Goal 5: To create new events, sales promotions and tactics in order to obtain
maximum awareness from primary prospects.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
o
Objective 5A: Design three events to be held over the course of the year that cater to
the wants / needs of primary prospects by April 2012.
o
Objective 5B: Create and promote two sales promotions directed at primary
prospects by March 2012.
o
Objective 5C: Create and distribute two tactics directed at primary prospects by
March 2012.
Tactics
In order to continue the exclusivity of the campaign, The Studio Salon must entice the target
audience by appealing directly to their eye for fashion and detail. Through targeted marketing they
will discover where the target audience lives, shops and frequents therefore increasing their ability
to market directly at them.
Events

Plumes of Pride14
o This event will be held in The Studio Salon as well as outside on their sidewalk area.
It will allow university students to create their own Shippensburg themed hair
feather and have it put in at a discount rate. Groups such as sororities or girls from
common residences will be able to have their photos taken and featured on a board
in the store.
o

Local media as well as campus media will be present to document the event.
Breast Cancer Awareness / Locks of Love 2012
o Using the improved plan included in this campaign, The Studio Salon will hold
another Breast Cancer Awareness / Locks of Love charity event.
Sales Promotions
14
15

Student Discount
o The Studio Salon currently has many specials and discounts available to all
customers but none available especially for University students. In order to reach
these primary prospects directly, it is necessary to go to them and create a Student
Discount.

Coupon15
o As described earlier in the plan, coupons and specials are an extremely effective way
to encourage business. An endless tactic in this campaign is coupons that will be
See appendix for example of a sample event plan.
See appendix for example of a sample sales promotion.
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
27
designed in quarter page format (in order to save on printing) and printed on
thicker paper to ensure stability.
o
These coupons would be professionally designed and printed in full color in order to
create the exclusive atmosphere and make the customer feel special right away.
o
These coupons will be placed in the mailboxes at the following residences:
 On-Campus
 Creekside, Madison and Brookside Apartments
 Stoneridge Commons
 College Park Apartments
 Hot Point Commons
 Bard Townhouses
 Britton Court Apartments
 Fraternities and Sororities
Other

Mailer16
o This mailer would serve as an invitation for a university student to create
personalized Shippensburg University themed hair feather and have it put in for a
discounted rate.
o
o

16
It would be printed on colored paper, in black and white, and mailed to the
addresses of primary prospects on and off campus.
This would be used in conjunction with the “Plumes of Pride” event.
Receptionist Education
o In order to succeed as a frontrunner in style and trends, The Studio Salon must
dedicate time and resources to researching the industry. Due to their continuous
printing, relying on magazines and beauty reports only show them the “now”, not
the “future”. Having the receptionist gather information on current and future
beauty trends will allow the salon to stay one step ahead of everyone else.
See appendix for example of a sample tactic.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
VI. Timeline and Budget
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Timeline
Present:




November 7th, 2011
o Awareness survey electronically sent to 120 students via Facebook.
November 12th, 2011
o Locks for Love / Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Event
November 30th, 2011
o Results of survey analyzed and recorded.
December 7th, 2011
o Campaign received by The Studio Salon.
Future:



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


January 2012
o Set up documents to record number of appointments made by primary prospects
versus average clients.
o Engage staff in discussions regarding the new image and goals of The Studio Salon.
February 2012
o Create several awareness tactics directed towards primary prospects.
o Have receptionist trained in media monitoring and target market research.
March 2012
o Position and distribute awareness tactics in areas frequented by primary prospects.
o Create and promote two sales promotions directed at primary prospects.
April 2012
o Create spreadsheet comparing number of appointments made at this time last year
to this past quarter.
o Create spreadsheet of current trends in the hair industry and distribute results to
staff to increase relevant knowledge.
o Cross reference spreadsheet with services given / requested at The Studio Salon.
o Design three events to be held over the next three quarters that cater to wants /
needs of primary prospects.
May 2012
o Create report containing information about how many appointments were made by
primary prospects and what products / services were purchased.
June 2012
o Use first and second quarter reports to determine what percent of revenue was a
direct result of services / products purchased by primary prospects.
July 2012
o Compile first and second quarter reports in order to gauge campaign progress.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Budget
The Studio Salon brings in $40-50,000 in service sales and $4-5,000 in product sales each
quarter. Currently, because of their lack of advertising, the advertising budget is often judged on a
case by case basis. The previously proposed tactics; coupons, mailers, events and rebranding of
their outdoor advertising, are all feasible projects as they do not take up a large amount of time or
money.
Below are the expenses for each tactic if executed according to the specifications of this campaign:
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17
18
19
20
Event:
o DJ Matt Kanzler (for four hours) + tables + tablecloths + cleanup = $250
 DJ pricing: $40/per hour + $50 for table17
 *Note: this is for the “Plumes of Pride” event.*
Coupon:
o 500 copies of full color, quarter page coupons = $45
 Four double sided coupons per 8 ½ X 11 page18
Mailer:
o 1,000 copies of mailer = $100
 Black and white mailer printed on color paper19
Outdoor Advertising:
o Five new full color hanging banners to be displayed on and off campus = $875
 5’ X 5’ at a price of $7 per square foot20
Item
Price
Quantity
Total
DJ
$40 / hour
4 hours
$160
DJ Table
$50
1
$50
Equipment
$40
X
$40
Coupon
Mailer
Banner
9¢
10 ¢
$175
500
1,000
5
$45
$100
$875
Overall Total:
$1,270
Personal Interview with DJ Matt Kanzler, November 2011
Prices as listed at Student Media Services, Shippensburg University
Prices as listed at Student Media Services, Shippensburg University
Prices as listed at Student Media Services, Shippensburg University
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
VII. Evaluation and Contingencies
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Evaluation
From an all-encompassing viewpoint, this public relations campaign has a high level of
potential that could create success of The Studio Salon. By creating tactics and sales promotions,
they will gain awareness, which leads to clients, which leads to an increase in revenue. All of the
goals, objectives and tactics listed above work their way back to the feeling of exclusivity. The
primary prospects are young women who thrive on feeling important, included and most of all,
ahead of the curve. The Studio Salon thrives on those same feelings, along with the need to increase
awareness from their primary prospects which in turn will increase profits.

Goal 1: To increase overall revenue from both product sales and services.
o Evaluation:
 If the objectives are fulfilled and the tactics implemented, this goal will be
very successful. The Studio Salon makes about $45,000 quarterly but could
always increase overall revenue. With an increase in revenue, The Studio
Salon will be able to afford the newly proposed tactics such as public events
and mass mailers.

Goal 2: To increase overall traffic of key publics.
o Evaluation:
 An increase in traffic contributes to an increase in revenue as well as being a
result of an increase in awareness. Seeing this goal succeed indicates that
both of those sub-goals have also been attained to some degree. Also, an
increase in overall traffic will provide its own advertising for The Studio
Salon in that more customers means more people interacting with the salon
and recommending it to their friends and family, which will perpetuate the
traffic.

Goal 3: To better identify primary prospects through further research and analyze
how to target them directly.
o Evaluation:
 Receptionists have many duties when working in a beauty salon such as
making appointments, talking with customers and keeping the salon in
order. Adding media monitoring on to these duties may involve rearranging
schedules but will, in time, prove to be a beneficial asset to their campaign.
In order to target their niche market directly, The Studio Salon will need this
arsenal of information to create all awareness tactics.

Goal 4: To shift resources to primary prospects in order to maximize both sales and
traffic.
o Evaluation:
 A shift in resources always seems like a large risk but if there are benefits to
be gained, those risks can be overlooked. Using this newfound time and
money to focus on marketing directly to primary prospects, The Studio Salon
can create a strong and lasting relationship with their target market.
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign

33
Goal 5: To create new events, sales promotions and tactics in order to obtain
maximum awareness from primary prospects.
o Evaluation:
 This goal may be difficult at first to attain, but with dedication from The
Studio Salon staff, the research compiled by the receptionist coupled with
ideas from this campaign will enable them to create their own tactics. They
will also have to show serious commitment not only to creating the tactics
but distributing and promoting them as well.
Contingencies
This plan has outlined several goals, objectives and tactics that will ensure the overarching
theme of university awareness and exclusivity. The objectives, being quantifiable, will have their
progress recorded in order to monitor their success. In the event that these goals are not met, a
contingency plan must be in place for each scenario.
Below are contingencies for each goal:

Goal 1: To increase overall revenue from both product sales and services.
o Contingencies:
 If service sales have not reached a 12 percent raise by March 2012, then
reconsider marketing techniques related to services – especially those that
are the most popular or the most lucrative.


For short-term effectiveness, create a special / promo involving an
offer that is enticing to both current and prospective clients.

For long-term effectiveness, go back to the research done by the
receptionist and make sure that the marketing techniques coincide
with what makes the target public buy.
If product sales have not reached at least an 8 percent raise by March 2012,
then reconsider marketing techniques related to products – especially those
most frequently purchased or recently released.



For short-term effectiveness, hold a “Buy One, Get One” sale on the
most commonly purchased items and bundle the products by type
(such as hair care or nail care).
For long-term effectiveness, research which products are more
commonly bought in salons as opposed to retailers and create a
promotion around these trusted items.
Goal 2: To increase overall traffic of key publics.
o Contingencies:
 If the overall number of appointments made has not increased 15 percent by
April 2012, then reexamine marketing techniques and attempt to reach out
to more members of the target public.
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
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign

If the number of appointments made by key publics has not increased 10
percent by May 2012, then confer with research regarding primary
prospects and create an entirely new tactic to reach them based on current
trends.

If 25 percent more awareness tactics have not been placed in frequent
locations by key publics by March 2012, then include this as an additional
duty for the receptionist and use the next month to place accordingly.
Goal 3: To better identify primary prospects through further research and analyze
how to target them directly.
o Contingencies:
 If the receptionist is not trained in two kinds of secondary research by
February 2012, then bring in someone from the Communications /
Journalism department at Shippensburg University to take a look at her
current monitoring plan, assess the strengths and weaknesses and, if
necessary, designate alternative sources of information.



If all the secondary research is not compiled by the receptionist by April
2012, then The Studio Salon should look into hiring outside marketing
assistance or hiring someone to the salon that specializes in marketing
techniques related to primary prospects.
Goal 4: To shift resources to primary prospects in order to maximize both sales and
traffic.
o Contingencies:
 If two awareness tactics specialized towards primary prospects are not
created by February 2012, then time must be scheduled into the work week,
either during a staff meeting or after hours, where the staff comes together
to create tactics that reflect the current atmosphere and client-type of the
salon.

If the overall revenue does not reflect a 10 percent increase solely from
primary prospects by June 2012, then The Studio Salon must reexamine the
marketing and advertising techniques geared towards primary prospects.
They will then use that knowledge to discover reasons why the current
tactics are not working and how to fix them.

If the revenue from on-site services does not reflect a 5 percent increase by
June 2012, then resources must be shifted towards in-store services,
especially the most popular or heavily requested.
Goal 5: To create new events, sales promotions and tactics in order to obtain
maximum awareness from primary prospects.
o Contingencies:
 If three events are not designed by April 2012, then time and effort must be
designated towards creating event plans, including budget information.
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
35

If two sales promotions are not created and promoted by March 2012, then
the research done by the receptionist must be further examined, along with
the first quarter report, in order to find what specials were successful.

If two alternative tactics have not been created by March 2012, then the
research done by the receptionist must be further examined, along with the
first quarter report, in order to find what tactics were successful.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
VIII. Appendix
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Contains examples / samples / descriptions of:
a) Event Plan
b) Coupon
c) Mailer
d) Logo and Outdoor Advertising
e) Receptionist Education
f) Satisfaction Survey
g) Awareness Survey
h) Locks of Love / Breast Cancer Awareness 2011 Review
i) Locks of Love / Breast Cancer Awareness 2011 Press Release
j) Locks of Love / Breast Cancer Awareness 2011 Flier
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Event Plan
Plumes of Pride
The Studio Salon prides itself on its dedication to current trends regarding the beauty
industry. This past year, the biggest trend in hair accessories has been hair feathers. They come in a
variety of colors, shapes and sizes and are attached to ones hair bed with small pliers. They are
meant to stay for in for about a month and can undergo any styling that regular hair can such as
straightening, curling, washing and drying. These feathers are extremely popular amongst the
target audience of The Studio Salon and were frequently purchased for $10 at the salon over the
past year. In November, The Studio Salon released a line of handmade hair feathers that they sell
exclusively at the salon. This event will take their homemade feather line to the next level, by
allowing their primary prospects to have a hand in creating them.
“Plumes of Pride” is an event set to take place in April of 2012, when the weather is finally
becoming nice. The event will be located outside on the sidewalk area directly outside of The Studio
Salon as not to take away from regular business hours. There will be a DJ and free Rita’s Italian Ice
(donated by the local Rita’s) and it will last from 2 – 6 pm. This event will give university students
the opportunity to create their own, personalized hair feathers featuring Shippensburg University
colors, beads and charms and have them put in for a discounted price of $8 per feather.
Additionally, a group of ten or more girls that arrive and make their feathers together are offered an
additional discount of 10% off of their group total. Lastly, student media as well as local media will
be informed of the events date and time therefore ensuring free press / advertising.
This event encompasses a variety of the aforementioned goals and objectives within one
occasion. Before the event actually takes place, it gives The Studio Salon a topic in which to promote
via fliers, mailers and advertising. It also will draw in students with its affiliation to Shippensburg
University. Due to the outdoor nature of the event coupled with free Italian ice and live music,
pedestrians will have the opportunity to see the event happening, or hear about it from their
friends, and become interested. That way, The Studio Salon will not only receive business from
recurrent clients but primary prospects and walk-ins as well.
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
39
Coupon
Throughout my primary research, I interviewed students on their opinions about promotions
and advertising for establishments such as The Studio Salon. In this particular interview, I spoke
with ten female students from Shippensburg University and I found that seven out of ten would
comply with purchasing something out of the ordinary if they had a coupon. When asked if they
would use it on a salon service such as a haircut or manicure, six out of the seven of the previous
people said yes.21 The stability and versatility of these coupons will enable The Studio Salon to hand
them out for holidays, event specials and other promotions as they see fit.
Many of these residences, such as Creekside, Brookside and Madison Court Apartments have
lists of which units house females and would be able to selectively place coupons in only those
mailboxes. 22 In addition, the coupons would be available at locations in which these girls are
already frequenting, such ‘East Meets West’, a very popular boutique on King Street.
Below is a sample of the proposed coupon:
21
22
Personal interview with Comm/Journ females; Nov. 4th, 2011
Personal Interview with Miranda Warner, Madison Court Apartments; Nov 13 th, 2011
Smugar | December 2011
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Mailer
Smugar | December 2011
The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Logo and Outdoor Advertising
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
Receptionist Education Outline
Out of the six women that are currently employed at The Studio Salon, one woman’s title is
merely “receptionist” To reap the most benefits of this position, this campaign suggests that duties
are added to the receptionist’s job requirements. Currently, the receptionist is in charge of booking
appointments, working the register, speaking with walk-ins and doing odd tasks around the salon.
She is required to be present during any and all hours the salon is open therefore she spends a lot of
time doing the same tasks repeatedly. Her position would serve a greater purpose if she were
educated in media monitoring and trend research. Ideally, she would be able to take a total of two
nonconsecutive hours each day to comb the internet for the latest trends and fashions in hair styles,
accessories and products. Also, because the salon offers services relating to nails, waxing and on
location / event styling, these trends would also be included.
The main goal is to have the receptionist compile a spreadsheet of trends, interests, and
reoccurring themes in the beauty industry and cross reference them with services requested /
given in The Studio Salon. This information can be used to create suggestion topics to clients for
example, if a recurrent clients always gets a similar short hair cut, the stylists could offer her
alternative choices of cuts that are currently considered popular. Now, more than ever, women are
asking their stylists questions about cuts, products and treatments. If the employees have the
knowledge to correctly answer these questions, they give the client reason to trust them and
therefore a chance at repeat business.23 Each of these spreadsheets would include information
regarding competitive pricing, how quickly the trends appear and disappear, and how many clients
of The Studio Salon actually request or submit to suggestions related to the researched topics. This
will give The Studio Salon employees a competitive edge over other salons as well as stay true to
their dedication to keeping their styles fun and fresh.
Media Monitoring
In a nutshell, media monitoring is the act of revisiting constantly updated websites or
sources of information related to one topic using the same key words and search topics in order to
track one topic. The receptionist would be given a list of appropriate websites such as fashion blogs
and beauty trend databases in which she will consistently read and report on her findings. This will
ensure that The Studio Salon knows everything, essentially, before it happens in order to keep their
clients - and themselves – with an exclusive first look. Creating spreadsheets may sound daunting
and difficult but a simple explanation of Microsoft Excel will enable the receptionist to efficiently
create records that The Studio Salon will be able to use as references not only for their clients, but
for their business as a whole. The research may show that some of the things they are currently
doing are either out of date or needing improvements.
23
http://www.organiccolorsystems.com/2011-salon-business-trends/
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Satisfaction Survey
The use of a satisfaction survey is a helpful tactic due to its anonymity. The client can fill the
survey out without a name or (much) indication as to their identity therefore allowing them to be
honest about their experiences. This particular satisfaction will pertain to the services performed /
sold by The Studio Salon. It is brief and is presented to each client after their services have been
finished. All of the questions have a line in which the client will fill in their own answer, as opposed
to bubbled choices; this will ensure that their full opinion is being heard. For convenience, these
surveys will be handed directly to the client with their receipt with the instructions to fill it out
before leaving and place it in a closed box located on the desk. In order to make sure that each
survey is filled out, the receptionist will be prompted with the phrase “Bring the survey back once
you’ve signed your receipt”, or something of that nature that indicates to the client that they are not
encouraged to leave without responding.
Here are the questions featured in the survey:
1) Please circle whether you are female or male, and an age range in which you fall under.
a. Options will be provided for this initial question.
2) How many times have you visited The Studio Salon and purchased a service / product?
3) What services / products have you purchased from The Studio Salon? Please list all.
4) What service / product did you purchase today?
5) Were you satisfied with your service?
6) Please briefly describe why you were / were not satisfied with your service.
7) Who assisted you today?
8) Would you suggest The Studio Salon to a friend or family member?
9) Do you have any suggestions as to improving The Studio Salon?
10) Comments? Questions? Concerns?
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Awareness Survey
From the beginning of this campaign, The Studio Salon has expressed their concern about
reaching college students. Their clientele is mainly Shippensburg town residents and they believe
that this is due to a lack of relationship with university students. In order to gauge the awareness of
these students, I created an awareness survey. This survey was distributed electronically on
November 7th, 2011 via SurveyMonkey.com, a commonly used survey site amongst university
students. It was sent through Facebook to 120 Shippensburg University students, both male and
female, ranging from freshman to graduate standing. The survey featured ten, Likert-scale style
questions regarding the participant’s demographic information and how much knowledge they had
about The Studio Salon. After two weeks, I reviewed the results of the survey to find that it was
successfully completed by 83 out of the 120 students.
Here are the questions and answers from the survey:
1. Are you a current student at Shippensburg University?
Yes, and I live on campus (22.9%)
Yes, and I live in Stoneridge / College Park (8.4%)
Yes, and I live in Bard Townhouses (9.6%)
Yes, and I live in Madison, Brookside or Creekside Apartments (25.3%)
Yes, and I live in Britton Court (1.2%)
Yes, and I live in a rented house off campus (22.9%)
Yes, and I commute to campus (4.8%)
No, I am not a current student of Shippensburg University (4.8%)
2. Have you ever heard of The Studio Salon?
Yes (37.3%)
No (62.7%)
3. How have you heard of The Studio Salon?
Heard from friends (48.5%)
Visited website (6.1%)
Visited Facebook page (0%)
Seen salon while in town (63.6%)
Seen fliers (18.2%)
4. Have you ever received a service The Studio Salon?
Yes, I got a hair cut (6.3%)
Yes, I got my hair colored (0%)
Yes, I got my nails done (0%)
Yes, I got feather extensions (2.5%)
Yes, I got my makeup done (0%)
Yes, I got waxing done (2.5%)
Yes, I received one of their services (1.3%)
No, I have never received a service from The Studio Salon (88.8%)
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5. How much is an appropriate amount to charge for a professional, stylized haircut
(that comes with washing, drying and styling)?
$20-25 (37.8%)
$25-30 (31.7%)
$30-$35 (17.1%)
Above $35 (6.1%)
None of these are reasonable (4.8%)
I would pay any amount in order to get the result I'm looking for (2.4%)
6. How important is customer service and a personal experience to you at a hair salon?
Very Important (80.2%)
Somewhat Important (18.5%)
Neutral (0%)
Somewhat Unimportant (1.2%)
Not Important At All (0%)
7. Do you regularly participate in services provided by The Studio Salon (stylized hair
cuts, manicures, pedicures, waxing, etc)?
All the time (0%)
Somewhat regularly (8.6%)
A few times a semester (6.2%)
Once a semester (1.2%)
Once a school year (3.7%)
Once a calendar year (4.9%)
Only for a special occasion (1.2%)
Never (59.3%)
This does not apply to me (14.8%)
8. Have you ever received services at The Hair Cottage?
Yes, I enjoyed my results and would go back (7.5%)
Yes, I enjoyed my results but would not return (1.3%)
Yes, but I did not enjoy my results (2.5%)
Yes, but I did not enjoy my results AND would not return (1.3%)
No, I have never been to The Hair Cottage (83.8%)
This does not apply to me (3.8%)
9. What do you think The Studio Salon could do to increase awareness to students?
Send mailers to students with coupons (59.7%)
Host events at the salon (31.2%)
Host events on campus (48.1%)
Create student discounts/specials (80.5%)
I do not think they could sufficiently market to students (5.2%)
10. Would you be interested in donating money to 'Locks for Love' via an event in which
Shippensburg students donate their hair to charity?
I would like to go and see the event, but not donate anything (23.8%)
I would like to attend and donate money to charity (53.8%)
I would like to attend and donate hair to charity (26.3%)
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
I would NOT like to attend the event (10%)
This event seems irrelevant and I do not believe it would be well received (0%)
Upon reading through the analysis, the results were unfavorable towards the level of awareness
surrounding The Studio Salon. 62 percent of those surveyed answered no when asked if they had
ever heard of The Studio Salon. Out of the 37 percent that were familiar with the establishment, the
highest percentage - 63 percent - said that their only connection with the salon is from seeing it in
town. This proves that the awareness level among Shippensburg University students is extremely
low. When asked what they believe The Studio Salon should be doing to advertise, 80 percent
replied with providing student discounts, while about 60 percent indicated that mailers / coupons /
promotions would be an effective tactic.24
24
Electronic Awareness Survey Nov 7th – Dec 7th, 2011; http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L7PSQML
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Breast Cancer Awareness / Locks of Love 2011 Review
On November 12th, 2011 The Studio Salon teamed up with Shippensburg University senior
Bryan Herr to support both Breast Cancer Awareness and Locks of Love, a charity that collects
human hair in order to create wigs and hairpieces for children with various diseases. In order to
donate to Locks of Love, the hair must be cut into a ponytail a minimum of ten inches long. Bryan is
well known on campus for his long hair and the shock of his proposal to shave it for charity has
been well received by other students. He and four other boys with notoriously long hair
volunteered for the event. Bryan approached The Studio Salon with plans for the event in
September and they offered to do the ceremoniously public haircuts for free. Bryan was taken
aback by their kindness and thus decided to raise money – a goal of $2000 - for their cause of
choice, Breast Cancer Awareness. The Studio Salon also contributed by donating the proceeds of
every hair cut given during the time of the event to Breast Cancer Awareness. The Studio Salon
notified their current customers and put alerts on Facebook regarding this fact.
Results
Upon interviewing Bryan Herr after the event, I learned the following information about the
event. Overall, he did not meet his intended goals. He was only able to raise a quarter of the money
he had hoped for and, aside from him, only one other recruited donator - Lucas John Martin,
Shippensburg University senior, showed up. He used a variety of tactics in order to raise money.
First, he used his employment at the local Walmart to set up a table in which, on his breaks and off
days, he could promote his cause and the event and thus, vie for donations. He used this same
technique at the Cedia Union Building (CUB), the student center of campus.
Another tactic applied was soliciting donations from friends, family and faculty. He used his
own Facebook page as well as the page he created for the group and his campus radio show to
encourage donations as well as attendance to the event. The event took place between 3 and 6PM
on location at The Studio Salon. They were able to obtain eight donors and raise a total of $500.
During the event, there were a few customers who received haircuts that were not for Locks of Love
but the proceeds went towards Breast Cancer Awareness. By the end of the event, there was 85
inches of hair donated to Locks of Love and just over $550 donated to Breast Cancer Awareness.25
A review of this event leads to the conclusion that this type of event, unless executed in a
different fashion, would not be feasible for The Studio Salon to undertake again. If done correctly,
this charity event could be held annually, therefore becoming well known and drive more people to
participate. There were many positive attributes to this event and, while it fits directly in with their
dedication to Breast Cancer Awareness, the ends did not justify the means. Granted, this was a
project being run by an outside source leaving The Studio Salon with minimal responsibilities but if
the event were to be done again in the future, there would have to be a solid plan in place in order
to receive maximum benefits.
25
Email Interview with Bryan Herr, November 16th, 2011
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The Studio Salon – Public Relations Campaign
That being said, the event lacked concrete planning and therefore did not yield enough results.
Also, despite Bryan’s use of advertisement in high traffic areas in both town and campus, his lack of
direct marketing impacted his sponsor involvement. In a recent awareness survey, a question was
presented regarding this event and whether or not it is of any interest to university students. In
addition, the question asked whether or not students would simply not attend, attend but not
donate, attend and donate money or attend and donate hair. The two strongest answers showed
that 54 percent of the students said that they would be interested in attending the event and
donating money as well as 26 percent saying that they would attend and donate hair.26
Below is a list of what was helpful, what was not and what can be implemented in the future if
The Studio Salon chooses to recreate this type of event.
26

Helpful:
o Use of fliers around campus promoting event
o Advertising in high traffic areas both in town and on campus
o Soliciting donations through a variety of different mediums
o Timing event when maximum amount of students are on campus
 Directly following the last football game of the season
 During a portion of the semester in which students stay on campus due to
large work loads
o Using a resource (his hair) that he already had in order to benefit
o Teaming up with a local business in order to create exposure
o Teaming up with another charity in order to gain more support

Unhelpful:
o Advertising specificity
 Fliers - only put up a week before the event
 Event on Facebook – only made a month before event
 Information on Facebook – only seen by his friends
 Information on campus radio – only available to listeners
o Advertising frequency
 Limited availability due to school, work and extracurricular activities
o Limited donation request frequency
o Creating campus awareness within a target audience
o Relying on friends to help promote and attend event

Future:
o Create buzz about event
 Connect social media (eg: Bryan’s Facebook to The Studio Salon’s Facebook)
 Provide fliers about event for 50 days prior to the event
 In store
Electronic Awareness Survey Nov 7th – Dec 7th, 2011; http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L7PSQML
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 On campus
 Off campus
 In town
 Use larger means than fliers and internet
 Pitch to Shippensburg Sentinel
 Pitch to The Slate
Seek out business or patrons with similar charitable goals for:
 Exposure
 Donations
 Support
In summary, while this event was poorly executed, there was a strong idea behind it. Using
The Studio Salon’s dedication charity to connect it with the community and the university appears
to be a symbiotic bond. The original goals for this event were set too high therefore it was not a
surprise when they were not obtained. If The Studio Salon attempts another event relating to either
charity, it would be in their best effort to have a plan in place for executing an event that will bring
them the most exposure and interest while simultaneously donating to an important cause.
Practicing target marketing and advertising directly to the audience that will be the most likely to
participate will ensure their success.
Smugar | December 2011