CAL CARE

CAL CARE
Cal Tan's New Division Communicates Cleanliness

by Matt Morgan

California Tan, Inc. staff knew they had something when CEO Max Recone conceptualized CAL CARE, an innovative line of products that offers salons a one-stop shop for all of their cleaning needs.

However, the challenge rested in getting customers who were used to buying quality indoor tanning lotions from the manufacturer to now pick up its cleaning products. "We sell tanning lotions, and tanning lotions are very sexy and exciting," says Sarah Galusha, vice president of marketing. "As much as we were excited about this cleaning line, we kept saying, 'But it's still a cleaning line. How much are people really going to get excited about it?'" Well? "We've been overwhelmed by the response and excitement we've witnessed already."

The key to CAL CARE's success is not just in the cleaning products. The beauty is in how the company provides salons with the tools to communicate cleanliness to customers, because CAL CARE knows how much it means to them.

Making A Commitment

Many salons are spic-and-span, but it never keeps customers from carrying a little skepticism, wondering whether the rooms, beds and bathrooms actually are clean. That's why it's so important to let tanners know the place is sanitized.

"It's one thing to be clean, and it's another thing to tell people, 'Hey, cleanliness is really important to us and our salon is clean,'" Galusha says.

"There is a need for communicating cleanliness and reassuring customers that salons are clean," she says. "It's so important to customers, yet no products out there were helping salons not only clean but let their customers know their salons are clean. That's what is unique about CAL CARE. In addition to providing great products and a great system, we give salons the tools to let their customers know, 'This salon is committed to cleanliness.'"

If a salon buys three or more CAL CARE products and commits to using them in accordance to the company's guidelines, it is eligible to join the CAL CARE Clean Commitment program.

Under the program, salons receive certificates of their commitment to cleanliness. "They can hang those in their lobby, in their bathroom, and in each tanning room as a constant reminder," Galusha says. "We also have decals that can be applied to windows, counters, mirrors and tanning equipment that also say, "This salon is CAL CARE clean.' We're trying to give salons tools so everywhere their customers look, they're always seeing this reminder that the salon is committed to cleanliness."

Keys To Clean

The CAL CARE line began with eight products making up a comprehensive and complete cleaning system to help salon operators and owners preserve their equipment and environment.

The new products are AcryliSafe Antibacterial Tanning Bed Cleaner, a one-step disinfectant cleaner; Bath 360 Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner; Bed Shine Tanning Bed Protectant to help clean, restore, preserve and protect the showroom finish of tanning equipment; PurifEyes Antibacterial Eyewear Cleaner for convenient and mess-free sanitization; Streakfree Antibacterial Glass and Surface Cleaner; Towel Fresh Heavy Duty Laundry Detergent; Towelgenic Antibacterial Laundry Sanitizing Rinse; and EZ*DOSE*IT cartridges, which take away the headache of mixing or measuring cleaning chemicals.

The EZ*DOSE*IT cartridges are available in six-packs of AcryliSafe, Bath 360 and Streakfree. When used properly, the chemical concentrates will not come in contact with skin, and the accuracy in the measurements protect equipment from problems caused by overmixing and undermixing solutions.

The Good Word

Since CAL CARE debuted in October, the response from distributors and salons has been much better than expected--so much so that California Tan already has increased the aggressive sales forecasts for the new brand, Galusha says.

The buzz began when salons first test-marketed the products over the summer. "They're using the logos in their advertising, because they really see the benefit of using CAL CARE to create a point of difference for their salon," she says.

The distributors have given most of the feedback, but California Tan hears from salons, too. "We've been overwhelmed with the response," she says. "It's been even better than we thought. The most common response we've been hearing is, 'This is such a basic idea--why didn't someone think of this sooner?'"

And to think Cal Tan ever worried about how CAL CARE would come across in the industry.

"We've built a reputation that we don't do anything ordinary," Galusha says. "We try to do everything well and premium and differently and better than what's out there. The company has that reputation, and CAL CARE is a perfect example of how we're taking our innovation to a brand-new frontier."