Every smart salon owner knows that if you build a strong brand, you can use it for impact and leave a lasting impression on your clients. A customer should be able to take a look at the brand you’ve built and get the image you’re trying to portray. The better the brand, the more your clients will trust the quality of your services. Not only that, they’ll want to keep coming back for more services because they’ll feel they’re paying for a unique experience.

According to Lisa Starr, a business consultant with Preston Wynne Success Systems, salons need to worry about branding themselves if they:

• Want to build a loyal customer.

• Want to spend less on marketing and advertising in the long run.

• Want to attract and retain the best employees.

• Are thinking of growing, expanding, or selling their business.

Don’t forget that being consistent matters. “Consistency is huge,” says Melinda Minton, a spa consultant and owner of Minton Business Solutions. “People are busy and they aren’t necessarily looking for your ad or your business. It may take a few times before they see your logo and begin to acknowledge it.”

You can easily build a strong brand. For example, have an identifiable and easy-to-read logo that is visible on all of your collateral materials (such as brochures, menus, and newsletters). Of course, it’s possible to overdo it. Avoid implementing too many slogans or catch phrases. That only results in confusion for your clients.

With that,we present the winner and finalists in our first-ever Best Salon Brand contest. They made quite an impression on us with their clever logos, interesting use of colors, attractive graphics, and consistency. We hope these salons’ strategies encourage you to build yourself a strong brand and stand out from the rest.

Winner: Michelle Danielle Day Spa

Location: Chappaqua, N.Y.

Owner: Michelle Danielle

The look: Michelle Danielle definitely knows the meaning of branding. Her salon’s logo, featuring a tree of sorts with a woman as the tree branches and root, is beautiful and well designed, and most importantly, visible on a variety of materials. From small pocket mirrors and water bottles to tissue paper and ribbon, the spa’s logo is in the spotlight.

The logo was created by a graphic designer, who came back to Danielle with an illustration of a tree after she told him she wanted the logo to convey how deeply rooted she was in the community. “When I saw the tree, I envisioned a woman holding her arms up,” she says. “Women are always the ones who handle everything and I wanted my logo to show that.”

Although the spa is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the logo has only been around for three years, and Danielle says she loves it. “Branding is so important. From start to finish, it should be all about Michelle Danielle Day Spa,” she says.

We loved the consistent use of purples and tans visible in different materials. Consistency is key in branding — it’s never a good idea to have your salon menu look totally different from your business card, for example.

Something else that caught our eye was the quality of the spa’s materials. It always feels great to pick up a business card or price list that looks professional. The end result? A spa that conveys a message of tranquility and well-being. You wouldn’t expect anything else from a spa whose tagline reads, “Feel good all over.”

First Runner-Up: Robert Andrew The Salon & Spa

Location: Gambrills, Md.

Owner: Robert Andrew Zupko

The look: One look at this spa’s materials and you immediately think elegant. From the black business card with the gold-colored logo set in the center, to the nice-sized salon menu and gift cards, it’s easy to get the brand Robert Andrew is trying to convey. Its salon menu says the theme is centered around a Tuscan village, and the warm gold, tan, and brown colors used in the materials, along with Old World-looking models and statues sitting pensively, certainly hark to that. The branding also goes further than that, reaching out to include private label products with the spa’s logo prominently featured.

We especially liked the survey card that again features the salon’s logo front and center. Surveys are good ways to get an honest opinion from clients and see how well you are servicing them — and it’s one more way to brand your salon if you hand out a survey card or sheet that is consistent with your look.

Second Runner-Up: Accents on 45th Hair, Skin & Nail Consultants

Location: Highland, Ind.

Owner: Linda Meyers

The look: Talk about branding. This salon brands itself in a major way, taking its name from the actual street it’s located on. The logo comes across as classy, strong, and stylish. It’s a definite standout.

We liked the bag featuring the salon’s logo, along with a swatch of black fabric inside. It helps add to the salon’s elegant feel. Meyers doesn’t settle for the usual materials. She features her salon’s logo on a variety of materials, including brushes and pens. Clients may not walk around with a service menu in their hands, but they are apt to keep a pen or brush in their bags.

Notable Mention: M&M Nails & Wellness Center

Location: Silver Spring, Md.

Owner: Maisie Dunbar

The look: The salon uses the word wellness in its name — and it’s also evident in its logo. The logo’s botanical theme, with its use of leaves, goes along nicely with the whole wellness concept. The warm, subtle colors visible in the salon’s materials have an almost calming effect. Clients don’t need to get a service to know they’ll feel better — they can just take a look at the service menu, for instance, and be assured they’re in for some major pampering.

We were also impressed by the array of materials the salon produces. From a newsletter and letterhead to client referral and invitation cards, M&M aims to get its message across — and does.

Notable Mention: Ultimate Image Salon & Day Spa

Location: Jeffersonville, Pa.

Owner: Pat Cusamano

The look: This salon’s brand comes across as cool and minimalist. We can just picture going to this spa and being enveloped by an upscale yet warm and hip vibe. We love the swatches of gold and burgundy featured on its service menu and business and referral cards. We liked the idea of putting the spa’s phone number on all of its materials. It’s one thing to get your message out to potential clients, but if you don’t make it easy for them to reach you, how can they experience your services for themselves? Ultimate Image understands that, even making its phone number stand out from the rest of the text in some of its materials.