Earlier this week, top executives from the U.S. salon industry gathered at the 2013 International SalonSpa Business Network (ISBN) Conference in San Antonio, TX, marking the organization’s 40th anniversary.
Among the highlights of Monday’s activities included a panel discussion moderated by Cosmoprof’s Pat Neville. Panel participants included Reuben Carranza, CEO of Wella, The Salon Professional Division of P&G North America; Martin Flaherty, Senior VP of Business Development at Colomer Beauty Brands USA; and Kristin Firrell, VP of Product Development and Education at John Paul Mitchell Systems.
Here are some of the highlights from the panel discussion:
On the next big trend:
Reuben: Products for thinning hair.
Martin: Styling products that act as a perm.
On product sales via the internet:
Martin: The industry has had its head in the sand.
On YouTube:
Kristin: Have you seen the “Girl Who Burned Her Hair” video?
Reuben: Some of what is out there is really inspiring and some is scary as hell.
On building service revenue:
Kristin: Having little menu items makes the difference.
On differentiating salon products from others:
Reuben: The basis of differentiation is the service experience in the salon or spa.
Martin: We distinguish ourselves by respecting the craft.
