Social Networking Site Is World’s First to Connect Going Green Networkers

August 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Going green social networking has just launched online.  Congratulation Shawna Schenk, creator and founder of www.UniversityoftheGreen.org , the world’s first environmentally friendly website that provides a social networking platform dedicated to environmental protection. 

UniversityoftheGreen.org is 100% non-profit and is the only social networking site dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and action on global environmental issues both on and off-line. 

The objective of the site is to incorporate a social networking platform which provides education and awareness about global environmental issues and brings people together who are passionate about promoting a green lifestyle.  Similar to popular social networking sites, members have the ability to communicate back and forth to each other.  By sharing photos, comments and postings, members can discuss current environmental issues, going green initiatives, and tips for living an eco-friendly lifestyle.   Members can also recruit ‘roommates’, similar to Facebook’s popular ‘group’ application. 

UniversityoftheGreen.org has distinct ‘academic inspired’ features and a creative design.  For instance, instead of creating profiles, users create and personalize their own ‘dorm rooms’ to identify themselves.  Consumers can visit the ‘classroom’ for a lesson in global warming and climate change. 

Founder and creator Shawna Schenk started exploring global warming many years ago and began encouraging her students to follow more eco-friendly lifestyles.  According to Shawna, “University of the Green is the University of the World.  It’s not just for college students; it’s for anyone who wants to be a student of the earth.  We need to understand what our world is going through, only then can we make it better.”

UniversityoftheGreen.org will be promoting eco-friendly actions online and on ground through events and fundraisers which will bring environmental awareness to communities.   Shawna adds, “Simple lifestyle changes like purchasing energy efficient light bulbs can help make a difference.  I want to show people how one small change can be significant if you multiply that change by the amount of people in the world.”

To learn more about going green, visit http://www.universityofthegreen.org

Filed Under: Social Networking Tagged With: , , ,

NJ Interior Designer Launches Luxury Bath Collection

August 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Catherine La Marca, renowned Interior Designer, recently announced the launch of her latest creation, ZAGARA Home. This luxury bath collection includes a deluxe bath robe, bath towels, and ZAGARA’s signature fragranced candle.

ZAGARA Home Bath Towels

ZAGARA Home Bath Towels

ZAGARA Home brings a sense of family, home and timeless European luxury with this assortment of must-have home items. The lavish but simple collection presents itself with a crisp white palette and plush fabrics. The signature white color carried throughout the line is reminiscent of the velvety white petals of an orange blossom flower, ZAGARA’s namesake.

IL Bagno Collection, a luxurious assortment of fine bath linens made of 100% plush cotton includes:

• The Robe- A magnificently soft bath robe made of plush, 100% cotton terry. The signature linen band covers the regal shawl collar.

• The Bath Towel- Plush 100% cotton terry towel with a 4” signature linen band and 100% cotton piping.

• The Guest Towel- Plush 100% cotton terry towel with a 4” signature linen band and 100% cotton piping.

• The Bath Mat- Step out of your bath and onto softness. Plush 100% cotton terry and 100% cotton piping.

• The Hand Towel- Plush 100% cotton terry towel with a 4” signature linen band and 100% cotton piping.

• The candle – Bring the scent of the Mediterranean into your home with the essential oil blend of ZAGARA. The base notes of the orange blossom are the defining aroma of this home fragrance collection. 8.8 oz. candle in clear glass.

ZAGARA Home’s self titled fragrance candle, ZAGARA, evokes an aroma which is clean and crisp, suggestive of light citrus notes that will fill one’s senses with the most sumptuous aroma. The provocative and tempting scent is powerful enough to saturate any room with its splendor, yet light enough to be enjoyed by even the most discerning noses. This exclusive, signature blend of essential oils can only be found in the ZAGARA candle.

The ZAGARA Home collection will be sold in high-end retail stores and fashion boutiques. Catherine also plans to integrate the line into luxury day spas where the robes and towels will be utilized by guests of the spa and then sold as retail items for those looking to bring a piece of European luxury home with them.

To see the entire collection of ZAGARA Home, please visit http://www.ZAGARAUSA.com  .

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Benfiber Aims at Younger Target Audience

August 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Benefiber might have created history for making the biggest leap in target markets.  While traditionally thought of as a product for much older adults, even senior citizens, Benefiber has repackaged and revamped their marketing efforts to target a much younger audience.

In their latest commercials, sexy young models sporting revealing outfits tout the effects of adding benefiber to their daily bottle of water.  Taking a ‘poop’ has never been so hot!  No longer is a bowel movement a stinky topic, instead, Benefiber wants you to know that adding fiber to your diet can make you even hotter! 

How you say?!  By removing toxins (buzz word!) and pollutants that can cause bloating and a whole host of other ugly ailments.

To me, this is marketing genius.  This is a great example of the perfect way to expand your target audience without changing your primary product.  A slight change in packaging and a totally revamped ad campaign just expanded their target audience into a completely new arena.

How can your product or service be positioned towards a new target audience to increase your sales?  You can’t always create a new product, it’s too expensive.  So try to figure out how to marketing your existing product to a new audience.  Sometimes a clever message and some fresh new graphic design is all you need!

Stay tuned to www.TCR-Marketing.com for more advertising and marketing reviews!

What do you think of the Benefiber commercials? Leave a comment!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Day Spa Owner Suggests National Day of Free Services for Cancer Patients

August 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Valentina Chistova, owner of Aquamedica Salon and Day Spa in New Jersey, is getting ready to host her 8th annual Just for Her event.  On the day of the event, the doors to Aquamedica are closed to the public to host a day of free salon and spa services to cancer patients and survivors.  The event takes place on the last Monday in October and coincides with national Breast Cancer Awareness month. 

Chistova and family got involved in hosting the event several years ago.  Chistova said, “At first, we started collecting money for good causes. Then we said, how can we do more? How can we truly TOUCH the lives of those who are affected? So, we decided to actually put OUR HANDS on people who need it, instead of just sending out checks. “

The ‘Just for Her’ salon and spa day offers cancer patients and survivors a complimentary day of beauty, relaxation, and gourmet delights.  For the past 7 years, Chistova and her generous staff have donated their hands and hearts to service these brave women.  The event also raises money to benefit the Jacqueline M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey. 

Valentina Chistova

Valentina Chistova

The special day is very near and dear to Valentina and her family.  Every generation of their family has had cancer, including Valentina’s mother.  “Almost every family has been affected by this terrible disease, or knows another family who has been,” says Chistova, “I want to show people that we care and that we can fight together.”  This year, Chistova is calling upon all spas, salons and beauty industry resources across the country to participate in the event and help spread the word. 

Chistova says the day has a tremendous impact on the women who participate.  “One woman in particular who came for a massage pulled me to the side and cried and said ‘I never thought I would be able to show anyone my body or let anyone touch it….after having the massage I feel more comfortable and now I can see that I am still myself, I am still whole” 

Chistova goes on to say, “The event allows salons and spas to give their hands and hearts for people that are in need, but too shy to ask.  We hope that many more salons and spas will a ‘Just for Her’ event, and we can make the last Monday in October a national day for the entire beauty industry.”

Any salon, day spa, or beauty industry source that would like to host a ‘Just for Her event’ or would like to help publicize the event should contact Valentina at 732.890.0404 or info@dayspaexpert.com

For more information on Valentina, visit http://www.ValentinaChistova.com

Filed Under: Day Spa Industry Tagged With: , , , ,

Red Bank Salon Selected to Carry AVEDA Hair Care Products

August 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The  Glen Goldbaum 72 salon in Red Bank will now offer customers the complete line of AVEDA hair care products for men and women.   The partnership is especially unique since AVEDA hair care is typically only sold at AVEDA exclusive salons.

Owner and master stylist Glen Goldbaum opened his salon on Red Bank’s west side a little over a year ago.  In an otherwise flat economy, business has been booming for Goldbaum.  The fashion forward and trend setting salon has set the hair styling bar high. Goldbaum himself is a former Vidal Sassoon educator and he has hand selected a staff comprised of the most talented stylists around.

Goldbaum is excited to welcome the eco-conscious hair care line to his salon.  “I love the organic philosophy of the products and the texture they create.  Aveda’s style and culture meshes well with ours and the way we do things here.”

For more information on Glen Goldbaum 72, please visit http://www.gleng72.com/

About Glen Goldbaum: 

 Glen Goldbaum began his career 25 years ago with Vidal Sassoon.  He became a senior stylist and eventually the company’s head educator.  He went on styling at the Kim Lepine Salon on Madison Avenue in NYC and became a leader for hair stylists at Paul Mitchell’s New York Academy.

 

To put your company’s news and information on the Internet, contact Stacey@TCR-Marketing.com

www.tcr-marketing.com

Filed Under: Salon Marketing, Salon Spa Internet Marketing, Salons Tagged With: , , ,

Salon Spa Internet Marketing: The Missing Link

August 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

In a world where over 85% of consumers check the Internet first for company info, products and services, why is the salon and spa industry so reluctant to join the 21st century?  Most major industries are capitalizing on the increased sales Internet marketing can offer, so why are most salons and spas still in the dark?

Most salon and spa consultants I have spoken with agree, the industry is lagging in tech savvy professionals who can catapult salons and spas to the next level on the Internet.    I hear all the time, “Salon and spa owners just aren’t Internet savvy.”  Many business owners are not Internet savvy, so hire someone who is.

The salons and spas that have used our Salon/Spa Internet Marketing services have seen the light.  They have seen their online gift certificate sales triple, they have seen their client count increase, they have seen their name in major industry magazines after receiving feature interviews. 

The fact is, the rest of the beauty industry is on the web.  Your major industry publications like Skin Inc., Salon Today and Day Spa Magazine to name a few are scouring the web looking for inspiring stories in the beauty industry.

Not only are industry professionals looking for news and information on the Internet, consumers are too.  We know that the majority of consumers want to read about a spa before they make a decision go there.  They also want to see pictures, prices and even testimonials.  The fact is, if your spa isn’t making a presence for itself on the Internet, you are losing business to the closest spa who is.

Internet marketing is one of the most cost effective ways to advertise your business to members of the media and consumers.  In fact, there is tons of free Internet marketing you can take advantage of.  Additionally, Internet Marketing can be easily tracked many ways.  So you can summarize your costs at the end of each month and how many leads came in as a result of your new marketing efforts.

If you are a salon or spa business owner and would like to learn more about Internet Marketing services for the beauty industry, please email me at Stacey@tcr-marketing.com

Filed Under: Day Spa Industry, Salon Spa Internet Marketing, Salons Tagged With: ,

Skin Inc Magazine Highlights NJ Day Spa Owner Valentina Chistova

August 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

We would like to congratulate our client Valentina Chistova for being featured in Skin Inc. Magazine!

It’s been 8 years since Valentina Chistova opened her own spa in New Jersey. After a 7 year stint as a spa manager and over 20 years dedicated to the art of healthy skin care, Chistova felt confident enough in her skills and her English (Russian is her first language) to start her own business, something clients had been asking of her for years.  Her passion and professionalism has made her a success with employees, clients and Spa industry editors.  Recently, Skin Inc magazine featured Valentina in a one-on-one interview they appropriately titled, “A Passionate Professional”. 

Now the proud owner of Aquamedica Salon and Day Spa in Long Branch, NJ, Chistova credits much of her esthetic inspiration to her grandmother who always emphasized the nature of life and business to change constantly.  In the interview with Abby Penning, Chistova comments,“My grandmother always said ‘You learn all your life and you die foolish.’ ”

Chistova credits this life lesson to the driving force behind her success.  Chistova is constantly renewing herself, her business, her services, her ideas, everything around her.  As a Russian immigrant, Chistova struggled to perfect her English and understand the changing dynamics of the US spa industry.  Her biggest marketing weapon is the Internet.  Chistova enlisted the help of a friend and Internet Marketing professional, Stacey Berlin, to help her with her online marketing strategy.  She even taught herself HTML coding and updates her own websites with specials and blogs each week.

Although Chistova grew up surrounded by esthetic inspiration, she says it wasn’t her intention to get into the skin care business.  According to the interview, ”She took up studying history and opera in college, as well as medicine as part of her military education requirement. This medical education marked one of Chistova’s first steps back toward esthetics, becoming a nurse through Kharkov State University.”

Now a successful spa owner, Chistova is offering her wisdom and advice to other spa owners.  She has set up a Spa Marketing firm where she and a successful Internet Marketing consultant help spas understand the power of the Internet and how to launch their successful online marketing strategy.

To read the full Skin Inc. Magazine interview, please visit http://www.skininc.com/spabusiness/leaders/people/46742097.html?page=1

 

Let TCR Marketing publish your story. 

Contact us for Internet PR opportunities.  www.tcr-marketing.com | stacey@tcr-marketing.com

Filed Under: Day Spa Industry Tagged With: ,

Young Designer Behind Popular Leather Handbag Collection

August 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Carrie Valentine’s popular line of trendy handbags have become a huge success since first launching the business in2006.  Now, at just 26 years old, Valentine’s bags have been seen on the arms of celebrities like Jessica Biel and Kate Bosworth.

 

The self titled line of handbags is described by Valentine as ‘classic yet edgy’.    From oversized slouch drawstring bags to the perfect sized clutch, the Carrie Valentine collection offers a size and style for every personality.    Each bag is made from soft leather and suede. 

 

Valentine’s artistic inspiration started at a young age and she says much of her inspiration comes from shoes.  “Shoes are very detailed, colorful and creative,” says Valentine, “I believe that the shoes a woman wears are an expression of her personality that day. My goal is to design bags that match every woman’s personality” 

 

As a post graduate, Valentine worked in the NY Fashion Industry where she seized upon key opportunities to promote her line.  She began displaying her bags at celebrity gift lounges and department store trunk shows which prompted press from major magazines.  Before she knew it, her bags were hanging on the arms of Kate Bosworth and Jessica Biel, her first celebrity clients. Valentine went on the road selling to stores around the country and soon signed her collection with Whisper PR and On The Verge Showroom.  She later also signed with Notanonymous Showroom

 

Carrie Valentine Relaxed Chic Handbag

Carrie Valentine Relaxed Chic Handbag

The top sellers in the Carrie Valentine line are ‘Relaxed Chic’, a drawstring bag with suede detailing and soft leather; ‘Rebellious’, a carry-all handbag with several interior compartments, outside pouches, and light weight structure; and ‘Confidence Clutch’, perfect for holding the bare essentials. 

 

Valentine says her role models are Kate Spade for her savvy business sense and Gwen Stefani for her ‘true to self’ expression of style. 

 

The entire collection of Carrie Valentine bags can be seen online at http://www.carrievalentine.com/

 

For Internet PR opportunities, contact stacey@tcr-marketing.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,