Last February, I was having a “make-up lesson” at a beautiful cosmetics store in Salem, Massachusetts. The make-up artist (and store manager) naturally struck up a conversation by asking me what I did for a living.
I explained that I worked with businesses in historical communities to incorporate history into their branding and advertising and marketing, and I also revealed that I was putting together a program for Nationwide Girls’s Historical past Month — which takes place each month in March. “I’m a enterprise proprietor and historian,” I continued.
“That is actually attention-grabbing,” she mentioned “however I do not see how historical past may work here.”
I instantly swung into action. “What are you aware in regards to the historical past of ladies’s cosmetics?” I requested her. In spite of everything, women have been using various potions and substances since ancient times – some of which we are rediscovering right now, like mineral-based products.
Make-up itself and standards of beauty have changed dramatically over the centuries as we see in portraits and, more recently, in photographs. Within the 20th century alone, think about make-up styles in the flapper era, in the silent and talk movies of the 1930s and 1940s, in the “domestic goddess” look of the 1950s, and the radical departures of the 1960s and 1970s. All of this history is fun to study, to question the meaning of, and to look at visually.
As it turned out, my new friend the make-up artist had a personal passion about the history of women’s cosmetics. Perfect! I then made the following suggestions.
For the Women’s History Month program I was creating, I offered to let her give a talk on women’s cosmetics in eighteenth century America. Our theme was women retailers in eighteenth-century Salem, so her talk would fit right in. Her talk, business, and website would all be featured in marketing supplies and social media communications.
On the day of her discuss, which might happen at a preferred Salem operate corridor, I suggested she could have a table with information, samples, members of her staff, etc. She also had 10% off postcards to give out to new customers.
She was thrilled! These small actions would put her in front of latest audiences AND give her the stature that comes from speaking knowledgeably about her business’s history. She would also achieve credibility as an lively corporate citizen, which, in her case, as a new business in town, would do wonders.
I suggested she could also write articles on the subject, publish a small book or Ebook, do an area cable show with a quick chat about make-up then and now and give stay demonstrations, and the listing goes on. Again, all of those actions would actually set her other than different make-up artists in a manner that residents of a really historic area would notice.
These ideas could also apply to skin care companies, hair salons, women’s clothing and accessory stores, jewelry boutiques – you name it!
What about health and wellness businesses?
Who else could benefit from this approach? Health clubs, spas, massage facilities, and well being care practices; chiropractors, acupuncturists, bodily coaches, nutritionists, and different solo practitioners. Once more, it is a lengthy list.
Not only have standards of beauty changed over time, so have standards for women’s health, power, and general wellness. We’ve come a great distance from the times of corsets, “women’s troubles” that were “evil” and never discussed, stress and anxiety that women have been informed existed solely in our minds, and placing everybody else’s properly being first to the detriment of our own.
Right now, we know so much more about nutrition, the benefits of exercise, non-Western cures, the consequences of stress, how related our vanity is to our health and look, and that if we ladies maintain ourselves first we are able to more easily care for others. Typically it’s helpful to have a look at how far we have come, and to have fun the place we are by renewing our commitment to beauty, health, and wellness – our personal, and our clients’.
Extra concepts to implement
Ladies’s History Month provides an annual opportunity to promote your beauty, well being, or wellness enterprise to women. Discover out in case your native historical society or museum is celebrating March. If they don’t have any plans, provide to work with them to develop a program that’s a win for you and a win for them. You may contemplate collaborating with different lady-targeted companies in your neighborhood for a bigger or multi-week event.
Past March, take into consideration methods during which you may insert your historic information of your discipline into your historic society or museum’s lecture sequence or e-newsletter, publish your story in your native newspaper and in your web site, create a enjoyable “Do you know?” handout in your topic then and now. The probabilities are limitless!
That is an uncommon advertising and marketing method for magnificence, well being, and wellness companies, however individuals who dwell in historic communities actually are involved in historical past and they’re going to recognize your personal interest.
I really imagine that adopting a few of these strategies will place you and your online business a lower above the remainder!
Bonnie Hurd Smith is the President and CEO of Historical past Smiths, a marketing company that works with businesses in historical communities to include historical past into their branding and advertising and marketing – their very own historical past, and their neighborhood’s. Bonnie can be a cultural tourism skilled, respected historian, and author.
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