Interview with spa & wellness PR specialists Kim Marshall and Darlene Fiske
What does it take to make your spa famous? Following the success of our client and partner âme Spa @ JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa and the significant media coverage since its opening in 2017, we reached out to the experts behind this campaign to learn how other resorts and spas can achieve similar results.
Kim Marshall of The Marshall Plan (TMP) and her partner Darlene Fiske gave us insights on how they achieved more than 145 million media views for âme Spa in just eight months and enhanced the spa’s reputation with consumers and the wellness community by achieving the status of No. 3 resort spa in the U.S. and No. 2 resort in Florida in the 2017 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Why is public relations important for a new or redesigned spa or resort?
Kim: The story comes first. No matter how fancy or new you are, if you don’t take the time to write a story that sets your business apart from everyone else, it won’t get the attention it deserves and won’t end up generating the revenue it was meant to. If you want your spa to be in the news, it’s important to remember that the most important word in the news is “new” – and your spa has only been new or reopened once. You have about a year to capitalize on it, and then it’s considered “old news” that journalists aren’t interested in.
Darlene: I totally agree with you. So many editors are dying to know what’s NEW, NEW, NEW! It’s often our job to create news when there is none. So if you have something new to present, it’s a great opportunity to be in the media, especially in the first 18-24 months after opening. Print media has a lead time of three to six months, and since it takes repeated efforts to get the media’s attention, you need to start public relations at least six months before the opening date.
What major steps did you take to put the âme Spa @ JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa on the map?
Kim: âme’s spa consultant, Tammy Pahel, who had already opened 14 spas, had an innovative spa concept that had been floating around in her head for several years. It all crystallized during a one-day strategic visioning session in August 2016, attended by the wellness experts who had agreed to be partners in the âme collective and the marketing experts who would shape the look and positioning of the new brand. Each participant had a voice, and everyone’s input was captured in graphics on large wall posters. From this first meeting, the âme “story” emerged and we developed a roadmap of action steps for the team to implement over the following months. This meeting was the defining moment in the planning and development of the spa and its identity. We also participated in the ongoing environment design meetings to ensure that the reality aligned with the vision. In January 2017, TMP began inviting selected media to the spa individually and in small groups. In March 2017, we organized a press trip to one of the spa’s new yoga retreats and later took advantage of the fact that the Global Wellness Summit was taking place just 40 minutes away at The Breakers in October 2017. We were able to organize visits to the spa for spa and wellness journalists before and after the summit.
Darlene: First of all, we only accept projects that have a great story and a unique selling point. Tammy Pahel created a brilliant story by bringing together a “collective” of practitioners, vendors, product suppliers, health gurus, chefs and fitness influencers, and of course developing memorable and innovative services. The key was getting influential writers to experience the spa first-hand. We organized a small press trip around the Art Basel event in Miami in December 2017 and gathered spa coverage on the topic. Thanks to our established relationships, we were able to invite editors from publications such as Vogue, InStyle, USA Today, Martha Stewart Weddings and many more. The opportunity to experience a spa first hand is an absolute must, especially in this age of low trust. Journalists need to touch, feel, immerse themselves in the product and get to know the people behind the scenes – like Sammy Gharieni – the room lights up when he talks about the spa’s partnership with the Gharieni Group and his passion is infectious. Another important step was attending the ISPA media events in Los Angeles and New York City in May and August. I recommend looking for reputable and established media events in wellness, travel or lifestyle to attend. The most important thing is to have an interactive environment where the right media representatives can come and learn about what your spa has to offer in a multidimensional way. At the media events, the âme booth featured sleek signage that reflected the spa’s trendy brand campaign, as well as a space where media could take a short heart health test from the spa’s functional medicine experts. The main attraction, however, was the presence of Gharieni’s Spa Wave table. Media representatives queued up to sign up for this experience that puts them into deep sleep in 10 minutes!
How important was it to incorporate the Gharieni Group’s spa equipment into the Turnberry story?
Kim: Turnberry’s new spa had so many features to highlight – they partnered with Gharieni to create a vibrant showroom. The Gharieni equipment really was the icing on the cake! We’re talking high-tech and high-touch here! And when it came time for photos, the tables were the absolute showstoppers. When it comes to PR work, you must never forget that we live in a more “visual” society today than ever before. What used to be considered a big PR “hit” – a multi-page feature in a magazine with lots of photos and 80,000 to a million readers – has now shrunk to one or two great pictures and a long paragraph graphic in an online magazine with three to 18 million monthly visitors. So great images are becoming even more relevant and important. In fact, two of the three most used photos in articles about âme Spa & Wellness Collective in its inaugural year were the Amethyst Quartz Table by Gharieni and the Spa Wave Table!
Darlene: Having the largest collection of Gharieni appliances in one place for the consumer to experience in a “living showroom” has proven to be an incredible PR hook. Nowhere else in the world can you experience all these beds under one roof and no other spa can make that claim. We use this information in our offers and in public relations, and the media always want to know more about it. Even if you only have one or two of these beds, spas have something to talk about because they are so unique and innovative and show how high tech can have a direct impact on health and wellness. One of my favorite stories about âme Spa & Wellness Collective is from InStyle, which calls it the “Rolls Royce of spa equipment.”
What challenges are typical for a public relations campaign?
Kim: With less and less advertising money flowing into print media and the internet being so fragmented, there are fewer and fewer journalists, and the ones that are left are doing the work of three people. It’s getting harder and harder to get their attention, and when you do, they need answers, pictures and information “yesterday”. A timely response is important and critical. If your PR team doesn’t have all the tools it needs, you need to designate someone to respond to media inquiries within 24 hours so you don’t miss an opportunity for coverage. Spas and resorts also need to be aware that they need credible, well-versed spokespeople who are available for media interviews. Journalists usually prefer not to interview sales, marketing or PR people. They prefer to talk to the CEO or someone who actually runs the business.
Darlene: One of the biggest PR challenges today is that companies think they can handle the press relations themselves with a press release through a distribution service. If they try to get the word out on their own, they inevitably miss opportunities for large-scale coverage, especially if they are opening a brand new spa. I’ve “rescued” several clients after their own attempts have failed, or even when they’ve hired a large company to launch and had mediocre results. For a successful and far-reaching campaign, it’s crucial to hire the right team from the start – a company that knows the wellness community inside out and has an established network of journalists who cover the industry. Another important thing to remember is that the better your photos are, the better the coverage will be. Schedule a professional photo shoot with a photographer who has a large portfolio of images that capture the “soul” of a story.
What do you need to know before hiring a PR company?
Kim: Ask questions. Always find out how they go about it and what methods they use. Are they your creative partner or are they just taking what you give them and trying to make it happen? Are you one of many, many clients or do they give you special attention? Will you only meet with senior representatives at initial meetings and will most of the work be done by very junior staff? Do they know the decision makers at publications? Has anyone on their team been a journalist before? Can they get your spa/resort/product in front of the people who decide industry awards? Do they have the respect of their peers?
Darlene: Kim and I grew up in the spa industry – literally. I started in this business 20 years ago and hired several PR firms when I worked locally at Lake Austin Spa Resort. The most important advice I can give to someone looking to hire a firm is to find a partner who understands your product. PR can be done from anywhere – the location of the company is irrelevant. Ask for references, get an idea of who will take care of your client’s day-to-day business, and most importantly, ask for examples of the work they have done for their clients. Actions speak louder than words – and the proof is in the pudding!
Kim Marshall and Darlene Fiske are PR professionals with more than 20 years of experience.
www.swellpublicrelations.com
