For this project I chose to tour the Sensia Studio Day Spa, in Houston Texas. The Sensia Studio Day Spa is a hair salon and Japanese spa that is open for business 7 days a week. The Spa is owned and operated by make-up artist, Johnathan Luke. The spa promises a relaxing, and rejuvenating experience. The marketing of the spa first starts with their website. The website www.sensiastudio.com, features a lot of information about the spa, its services, and a blog with posts relating to beauty treatments. The home page features a background rolling photo widget that displays images of inside of the spa, along with the slogan “The journey to relaxation begins here”. The décor of the spa as featured in the photographs are Japanese orientated, they have used natural timbers, and materials to replicate Japanese culture.
Below the widget, features information about the history of the spa. According to the website it has been active since 1989. Within the body of this text, they have used the words, “sanctuary”, “retreat”, “calming atmosphere”, “relax”, “rejuvenate”, and “modern escape” These words evoke the feeling of calm, and set up customer expectations. However, these adjectives are all loaded into the same sentence, and I think they have made it too wordy. At the end of the introduction they promise to, exceed my expectations. In this way, the spa has described the atmosphere behind its doors, and set my expectations quite high.
At the end of the introduction, they feature customer testimonials, which are all positive. The website is professionally presented and gives a good indication of what to expect upon visiting the spa.
The blog on the website is another tool the spa uses to market their services. They speak about issues women have with their skin, or hair, and resolve those issues with information about products that can be purchased at the spa. The by line’s that come after the headline of each blog, presents a call to action to visit the spa. The blog itself is not a traditional blog at all, and it is not hosted on their website. Instead, when you click the link to view the blog, it takes you to another website www.localchron.com. The information relating to the blog’s headline is brief. Beside the headline is a map to the spa, and information that a new customer may need to call to make an appointment. I can see why they have chosen to do this, its low maintenance, and it directs customers to the spa. However, I think they have lost a personal touch, and it comes across as just another advertising push, rather than an informative piece of writing that will help customers decide if the spa is right for them.
In addition to this, the website feature online reviews. The link takes you to another website, www.reviews.birdseye.com. Most of the online reviews were positive, and reflect the marketing promises of the spa. When I searched for reviews on Google, I found other websites that are not related to the spa’s website. These reviews were more “raw”, and some where less favorable than the ones featured on their website. However, the majority of these reviews also reflected that the spa had kept their marketing promises, and the clients were more than satisfied, because their expectations had been exceeded. Many of the clients have been visiting the spa for 20 years, or more. So I felt that the reviews were enough to get a true sense of the service at the spa.
I conducted my research about the spa before I visited. Upon entering the building I was immediately enveloped in a warm, and freshly scented atmosphere. The décor reflected the Japanese culture, as I expected. They had bamboo shoots, and natural materials, with light wooden floors, just as the website had promised. However, what I did not expect is the modern twist. I was expecting the spa to reflect ancient Japanese culture, as the photographs on the website had somewhat lead me to believe that is what they were aiming for. However, as I entered, I was greeted with a modern looking spa with Japanese décor mixed in. In the hair salon, I saw a picture of Marylyn Monroe on the wall, and I am not sure how she fits it with the Japanese day spa theme. Because of this, I was a little disappointed. The advertising described the spa as a hair salon and Japanese day spa. Nevertheless, I expected the Japanese theme to resonate throughout the entre facility.
They were quite busy the day I visited so I did not get a good look at their entire facility. But I did have a look at one of their massage rooms and this reflected my expectations around the Japanese cultured theme. However, I also expected the massage therapists to be Japanese, or wear traditional Japanese robes, but unfortunately I was let down again. Overall, I think the marketing and branding of the spa is powerful. However, they are missing out on really connecting with their customers through their blog, and social media sites like Instagram. Their Instagram page has two posts and its private. In addition to this, the heavy Japanese culture theme in their marketing led me to believe I was going to experience authentic Japanese culture at the spa, but this was not the case. However, the reviews from the spas many clients show that their services are top notch and the fact they have been operating since 1989, shows the quality of their services.
Works Cited
"Blog | Sensia Studio & Japanese Day Salon in Houston". Sensiastudio.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
"Sensia Studio and Japanese Day Spa - 1711 Post Oak Blvd. Houston TX 77056". Local.chron.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
Reviews, Sensia. "Sensia Studio and Japanese Day Spa". Reviews.birdeye.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
