The research, conducted by Nielsen to understand the interaction of salon customers that engage with the digital media advertising solutions, was done on-site at eight premium affiliated salons in Gauteng, namely Le Looks Sandton, Devine Illusion, Frantic Fringe, Bijan, Pure Hair Design, Image Xpertz, Le Looks Eastgate and Danji over a three-day period.
Mary-Anne Lakin, GM of Salon Media explains that the study respondents - across the black, white, Indian and coloured ethnic groups - completed the surveys on their own, with 480 completed. Respondents were mainly female with over two thirds younger than 45. The men who took part were on average younger the than women.
"The survey also revealed that customers are relaxed when in the salon and 90% have a positive and relaxed state of mind at that time. This is more than likely because salon loyalty is high and people trust their stylist," says Lakin.
In terms of visit frequency, the study concluded that most respondents visit their stylist on a bi-monthly or monthly basis (34%) and frequent customers are more likely to have noticed digital screens and decals.
"The majority of respondents said that they paid attention to the advertising content (75%) and in addition, close to 9 out of 10 noticed the digital screens, with the majority stating that the content was interesting and entertaining."
Entertainment featured most strongly in the recall of advertising on the digital screens, whilst individual products had a lower recognition and movies in general had the highest spontaneous mention.
"When it comes to brand influence, half of the respondents said that they would consider making a purchase, of which 23% said they were influenced by the advertising. In addition, 23% said they were persuaded by the advertising to purchase a specific product. This equates to one out of every four customers in a salon."
In summary, the study showed that the more relaxed and positive the customer is, the more engaging digital screens are to them. More than half might be persuaded to consider a product/brand purchase; content is persuasive among a quarter of salon customers, entertainment content in particular is noticed and when it comes to communication, WhatsApp, Facebook and WeChat should definitely be considered.
