For spa retailers, promotional calendars are more than a timeline tool, they also help capitalize on peak periods, provide consistent customer engagement and assist in carving out enough time to promote and pivot if necessary. Here are tips from spa retail experts to jump-start your promotional efforts.
Planning in advance
Whether you focus solely on hot tubs or offer multiple products, it’s essential to begin planning three to six months before the new year.
“We always start setting up our marketing plan for the following year in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter,” says Chris Curcio, owner and president of Litehouse Pools & Spas in Strongsville, Ohio, with 15 locations throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania. “That gives us time to look around and see what’s happening in the market and in marketing, which is changing rapidly,” he says, adding that they work with a digital marketing agency.
Pettis Pools & Patio, with stores in East Rochester and Greece, New York, consults with a third-party marketing firm to do the same. “We meet monthly to discuss pricing, promotions and timing, building out the next 30, 45 or 60 days with them,” says Eric Foss, senior vice president of operations.
Consider these factors
With the hot tub market anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.36% through 2029, according to a recent report by Fortune Business Insights, it’s important to analyze past promotional campaigns to keep up with the growth. Trends can be tracked through sales metrics, customer feedback and calculated ROI.
You should also check whether spa manufacturers are running special promotions that can be included in your strategy. For instance, Curcio notes that Bullfrog Spas organizes its marketing and promotional events throughout the year, so his team aligns their efforts with Bullfrog’s schedule to take advantage of those opportunities.
Choosing a promotion type
Spa promotions should target existing and potential customers. Effective strategies often include new products, time-limited discounts, floor model sales and holiday or seasonal transition events that drive online or in-store sales. Pettis Pools, for example, might offer a free accessories package along with swim spa purchases, floor model discounts and special manufacturer deals.
Litehouse features online and on-site special promotions like customer appreciation sales, year-end clearance sales, a tax holiday sale in April or sales on holidays like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, Curcio says.
Pettis Pools holds two annual off-site promotions. From December through early January, they run a holiday sales event with a storefront display in a major mall and from late April through October, a country store-style display at a trendy marketplace in the Finger Lakes vacation and second home area.
Promoting the promotions
Creating a calendar isn’t enough — your special promotions must be publicized. Spa retailers rely on several channels to reach customers.
- Direct mail: For Pettis Pools, this approach works well with existing customers and leads, Foss says. Litehouse sends out about 50,000 direct mail pieces to promote its customer appreciation sale, Curcio adds.
- Direct-to-consumer emails: This low-cost, high-impact channel is particularly effective. For current customers, Pettis uses promotional emails for the spa service division with a reminder they sell new spas. Litehouse offers discounts on chemicals, accessories and more, while also responding to leads generated from these emails.
- Digital: At Pettis Pools, the budget is heavily focused on digital advertising, with an emphasis on social media, says Jessie Wiggins, senior vice president of operations. “That’s where we derive the majority of our leads, and we have a strong internal usage of our CRM systems to best maximize these leads and turn them into converted deals,” Wiggins adds.
- Radio and television: “A local radio station plays nothing but Christmas music from Thanksgiving until the big day, and we like to advertise our holiday event and promotions on that,” Foss says. Litehouse uses both channels, Curcio adds, though it’s “a shotgun approach that can’t be tracked” currently.
Use technology to your advantage
Software programs like Salesforce, Nutshell and HubSpot track sales and promotions. “We’re using HubSpot, and we’re going to go a bit further with that this year to integrate more automation into lead follow-up,” Curcio says. Pettis Pools uses Constant Contact as its CRM software, plus several telecommunications platforms to enhance customer service, Foss says.
Spa retailers can set the gears in motion now for planning next year’s calendar — but, here in February, it’s not too late to reimagine this year’s.