The Future of the Spa

As spas and spa brands grow in popularity, there’s a glaring polarization between the old-fashioned concept of the spa and the quick-fix “buff and run” solution. Opportunities lie in regaining the true meaning of the word.

By Jonathan Ford
Pearlfisher


Spas have become something of a modern day beauty phenomenon, with seemingly every street and department store hosting a spa facility, and with spa brands continuing to hold a significant share of the on-shelf market. But what does the word “spa” really mean to today’s beauty consumer and, indeed, brand owner?  How are spa brands shaping the beauty sector? And, just what is the future—and even more significant, the potential future opportunities—of this growing market?

Spas for the Everyman

Historically, spas were towns or resorts—destinations for therapeutic treatments and relaxation for the upper classes of society. This has, in many ways, translated through to the profile of today’s spas, which, until recently, were located only in smart country house residences, chic city hotels or private members’ clubs, and regarded by the cognoscenti as the ultimate in beauty indulgence. As popularity and prestige have grown, and with price no longer a prohibitive factor due to the democratization of wealth, a spa treatment has become accessible to almost all. 

As a result, spas have sprung up on every street, offering quick-fix solutions for stressed-out, time-starved women (and men), rather than as destinations for lengthy retreats and pampering. Consequently, there is a glaring polarization between the old-fashioned concept of the spa and the quick fix “buff and run” solution. While there may be room for both the high street [the main business streets in British towns] and the country house spa, the definition of this beauty experience has undoubtedly become blurred, lost a degree of depth and meaning and potentially diluted the creative opportunity for the bona fide spa spaces and spa brands.

Spa Mixology: The Products

Over the past few years, many well-established spas have realized the potential of manufacturing, using and, more important, selling own-brand beauty products both within the spa and, much more significantly, on the beauty counter. Some, such as Bliss, with spas on both sides of the Atlantic, in London and New York, is now perhaps better known for its range of spa products than for the spa itself. The Bliss product range has translated the clean and refreshing ambience of its spa into the uniform blue and white packaging of its products. The brand has also injected humor, through naming, to perhaps detract from or make the consumer feel slightly better about what may be viewed as unsightly problems—for example, its brand new Thinny Thin Chin home spa treatment for firming up sagging jowls!  But, true spa brands, such as Bliss, are now jostling for shelf space and recognition alongside new, so-called “spa” products from brands such as the very scientific Cosmedicine.
   

It has a strong spa heritage, but Caudalie's packaging doesn't promote the spa concept.

The word “spa” has not only become a very fluid descriptor within this sector, but also an immensely powerful one and, just as “organic” became somewhat misused and over-used within both the food and beauty sectors, so “spa” is now an adjective of choice for a plethora of personal care brands.
   
Accordingly, with “spa” becoming overused, are we, the consumers, then cynical about its worth and desensitized to its benefits? Actually, many of the brands using the  “spa” prefix, do not have the heritage or ingredients of a spa brand, but are trying to imbue their product with an extra, or repackage their brand offer with a “spa” product; often and invariably, they do this just by hanging the “spa” tag on the product name or descriptor.
   
On one hand, the advent of these products makes it appear that there is an increase of spa treatments available; on the other, it has created an even more intense polarization of this marketplace. Ironically, the bona fide spa brands do not seem to be using, or at least not using as prominently, the “spa” tag as part of the name or on-pack copy; instead, they are focusing on other components of their packaging such as subtle visual cues and beautiful design to reinforce the overall brand value and product benefit.
   
French beauty brand Caudalíe, owner of the famed Vinotherapie Spa in Bordeaux, always uses its signature Kilner jar packaging for its Vinotherapie Scrubs (and new travel set of three scrubs). The jar—which looks like glass, but is actually plastic—is used to showcase the product itself, but with the Caudalíe brand name written in large type. The Vinotherapie trademark is secondary and the “spa” tag is nonexistent.
   
L’Occitane is a particularly interesting brand to take note of in the context of the spa sector. Not a recognized spa brand, and not claiming to be one, the company uses a more suggestive approach with the packaging design for its new Grape Warming Body Wrap.  The packaging is true to the overall look and feel of the L’Occitane brand but uses soft color, illustration and “warming” and emotive language to heighten the perception of experience and allow for more personal interpretation. 

Spas of the Future

Moving forward, we believe that there is a very real opportunity for spa owners and spa brand owners to look at reclaiming the spa territory by meeting this need for personal and individual experience and taking ownership of the term “spa” to make it once again become synonymous with “destination” and “experience.” These brands need to look at how they bring users back into a designated spa space, physical and/or mental, as well as ensuring that any products are part of a truly integrated brand offer that marries space and product by offering “authenticity.” The Cowshed range of products, from the Cowshed Spa at Babington House, is not a new example, but nevertheless, a pertinent one of a spa brand staying true to its roots and providing a totally unique and authentic proposition. The Babington House room interiors are all different and all reflect the natural flowers and fauna and colors that surround its location. This theme is continued through into the packaging design of the Cowshed product range with a unique, repeat-pattern wallpaper effect, mirroring the interiors, and celebrating the textures and sensuality drawn from nature and the English countryside. Design, in all its many forms, has been used as a key and consistent connection with the consumer as a way of creating a real difference. It is this totally holistic approach that is the future of the real spa brands.
   
We can not begin to get into the hearts and minds of every spa owner and spa brand here, but would encourage these brands to capitalize on the kudos and individuality attached to their own particular destination, their regionality, the “local resource,” the personality of the people behind their offers or the quirkiness of their buildings and environment. Uncover or rediscover what is real, unique and authentic to your spa and brand, and use design to help visualize this expression—an honest and more personal expression. In this way, each spa and spa brand will individually stand out from the crowd and, collectively, help this increasingly important sector of the beauty market to grow up and take a more defined shape.
   
Spa is the fusion of, or the creation of, the balance between mind, body and soul, and historically, it always was, as discussed, about a holistic sense of well-being on a very individual level. I would like to throw down the gauntlet and challenge spa brands to go back to their true origins and rediscover the completeness at the heart of  “spa” and, by doing so, shake off the “faking it” impostors and celebrate the real McCoy. Will the real spa brands please stand up?