Twiststl

Check out the June issue of SALON TODAY magazine for ideas on how to update your salon! Bangz Salon and Wellness Spa in Montclair, New Jersey, won grand prize in the 2010 Salons of the Year contest by creating a slick sanctuary of style that’s as far from side swept or wispy than the name might imply. The space is built to last. And with a $3 million price tag to restore a former Masonic Temple, Bangz spared no cost in making it special. Ann Higby at Twist was among 5 judges who helped select the top winner, as well as four runners up, for the magazine’s annual décor competition. The judging was based on six categories: use of color, lighting, flooring, efficient use of space, consistency of design and overall aesthetics. “The transformation of the winning space into a large-scale salon and spa is so comprehensive, while staying true to the original design aesthetic,” said Higby.  Along with preserving the historical value, the owners also used recyclable materials, low energy light bulbs, and video/security cameras to monitor wasted product use.  And while Bangz believes the biggest value of a guest’s experience is added by the staff and their friendliness, it doesn’t hurt to have a brilliantly designed salon to make the experience even nicer.

If you've never heard of Foursquare, you're not alone, but this is a company to watch closely in the future. Foursquare is pioneering a new way of sharing that allows users to "check-in" at places they frequent daily.  Swiping loyalty cards and Tweeting about a company while there in person rewards customers by giving them points towards rewards and gives the company the face time with the public it desires. 

Of course, those of us who are a little more private may not care to tell everyone how often we stop by Starbucks or what flavor of ice cream is our favorite, but in this social networking society, privacy is a luxury few of us can afford.  And when people voluntarily enter into these social media programs, the marketing tactics aren't seen as invasive, but as something a person is truly interested in.  Keeping customers involved with and aware of the brand is the biggest challenge any marketer faces,but by posting blogs, rewarding customers instantly for being loyal, and giving them special incentives to keep tabs on a company or brand, marketers are learning to effectively use the digital tools being created. 

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what a blog really is.  Does it require a computer science degree and more money than Bill Gates has to create, operate and update regularly?  The simple answer is, No!

As the world waits for the release of the fourth generation iPhone, we have been far more interested in the controversy that the leaked photos and subsequent raid of Gizmodo blogger Jason Chen has drummed up. So just a little back story—an Apple software engineer in California forgot his iPhone OS 4.0 at a bar. A patron that found the phone then sold it to a Gizmodo blogger who released photos of the phone.