Marketing to Teens

Young consumers play a large role in shaping consumer and beauty trends, as well. Teens are a growing market for a spa and they are now more active consumers than ever before, which provides your business with tremendous marketing opportunities.

A GROWING MARKET

Recent studies have shown that teens are receiving the same ammount or more of spending money every year. It is important to note that teen spending money is affected by economical shifts in the same way that adult spending is. However, the great news for the spa industry is that teens say they want to look good no matter what. And they’re spending to prove it— nearly three-quarters are spending the same or more this year on either cosmetics (70 percent), clothing (72 percent), hair products (71 percent) or skin care (74 percent). This is all great news for the spa and skin care industry! In fact, the overall amount of money families spend on teens for food, apparel, personal-care items, and entertainment is expected to grow continuously.

All sectors of business are recognizing the important teen demographic, from clothing, to restaurats, food and entertainment. It’s important to have a robust strategy to compete for the attention and the business of the teen demographic.

MEETING TEEN DEMANDS

Spas can position themselves as the source for clear and glowing skin to answer one of the biggest problems teenagers face. It’s a fact that skin disorders lead to stress, depression and social withdrawal, which could lead to even more problems. Approximately 20 million teenagers have acne. Acne can be especially emotionally devastating for teens because they are extremely conscious of their appearance and their image. Several studies have shown that acne sufferers can experience everything from decreased self-esteem and problems with body image to depression and anger.
Helping teens overcome their skin care challenges creates a business model for you to capture the teen market. Successful spas are developing teen menus and/or hosting teen parties and offering special programs and services to this important group.
Here are some mistakes to avoid and solutions to position your teen program for success:

EFFECTIVE TREATMENT PROGRAMS

The first mistake most spas make is they include teen services within their regular menu. This practice does not work. Develop a separate teen menu that appeals to the youth audience while fulfilling their needs. The teen menu should have its own unique identity and imagery that connects with them on their level. Before you print your teen menu, gather a teen focus group and make sure that they like what they see and read. This will save a lot of time and money.

The second mistake frequently made is offering the wrong treatment selection. According to teen surveys, teens want clearer skin, makeup lessons, fun manicures, pedicures, waxing, and education in learning how to look and feel great. When selecting your treatment options, stay away from too many massage treatments. Make teen offerings a necessity rather than pampering. We found that most parents are willing to pay for necessity and educational treatments such as facials and skin care products rather than massages or pampering treatments. If you are not selling teen retail products for home care, you need to. Acne and treating problematic skin should be your number one focus. Creating an acne program which will include a series of classes and/or spa monthly membership is the best way to position your teen spa program. You can sell a lot of products by setting them up on automatic reordering program.

Create a membership program where a teen receives a monthly facial to maintain healthy looking skin. As mentioned before, many studies indicate that acne in teens is linked to depression, lack of self confidence and social withdrawal. Parents are willing to invest in services that contribute to their child’s health and well-being, Take advantage of this growing market space that is in desperate need for your services, education, and overall feel-good experiences that you can offer at your spa.