In the time since Aveda launched its new Demi+ color line, stylists have enthusiastically embraced the versatility, rich tones and unmatchable shine of the demi shades. Clients are enjoying faster services with better results and salon owners are finding new streams of revenue through the new line.

Specifically, owners are encouraging stylists to take advantage of the Demi+ line’s unbelievable shine factor through add-on services.

“The main way we’re using Demi+ right now is as an add-on shine service,” Aubrey Garcia, marketing director at Tangerine Salons in Dallas, Texas, says. “​It’s easy for our stylists to introduce to clients because there is a low-commitment. Our guests who typically only receive cuts have been loving the added shine and our color guests have noticed a major difference in vibrancy as well as shine.”

New Service, New Profit

Garcia says Tangerine stylists were thrilled to learn about Demi+ when it hit the salon, and even more excited to try out new services on their clients.

“Our stylists LOVE the new Demi+,” she says. “When we first learned about it, they couldn’t wait to get their hands on it, and when they did, they instantly loved formulating with it and were blown away by the results they were seeing. The shine and vibrancy is amazing!​”

And after receiving in-salon education and getting more hands-on experience, the whole team is now focused on educating guests about how a shine service will improve their color.

Clients have been excited to see instant results.

“​My clients can see the shine as it processes, before it’s even shampooed,” Kelsey McCarroll, studio stylist at Tangerine in Preston Hollow, says. “It has also been a great add-on service for anyone who needs a little sprucing up in addition to their haircut. I have had a couple cut-only guests become gray-blending guests because Demi+ works in five minutes, which is an easy amount of time to add on to any haircutting service.”

Next up for Tangerine: a marketing plan to maximize the shine service.

“After our last meeting with Neill, we’ve been considering a lot of ideas,” Garcia says. “We are planning a ‘Shine’ party where we invite groups of clients in to experience the service,” she adds. “The idea is to invite clients who have never used Demi+ before or possibly a group of bloggers to come in for a shine service and blowout, and then have wine after,” Garcia says.

Garrison Neill of Paris Parker Aveda Salons and Spas says many millennials are “still rocking ‘virgin’ hair,” and suggests that these parties and services are the perfect gateway for converting them to color clients.

Tangerine is opening a fifth location in early June, so Garcia says they plan to roll out a shine party to pair with the opening of the new location.

“It’s all about how we can enhance our clients’ hair color to give them the desired outcome,” she says.

As far as profits go, Garcia says Tangerine has had a three percent increase in overall shine and toner services in the first quarter of 2018 (compared to first quarter 2017).

“Our stylists love formulating with Demi+ and love the instant results even more,” she says.

Re-Building Color Profits

At K. Charles & Co. Salons (five salons and a barbershop in the San Antonio, Texas area), achieving profitable shine services took some trial and error.

“We originally started using Demi+ as a shine add-on service,” Vanessa Rodriguez, regional manager for K. Charles and Salon Syzygy, says.

At K. Charles, master colorists don’t do base color. Instead, they focus their efforts on creative custom color services, which are more time consuming. Junior colorists handle the single-process services.

The problem with custom color, and color that starts mid-shaft, is that it lasts longer (Not a problem for the client!). But clients were only coming in every 10 or 12 weeks instead of five or six weeks.

“There was a time when we saw our base-color services pretty much disappear from our books for many different reasons,” Rodriguez says. “A change in color trends like balayage and color painting stopped guests from coming in as often, and I knew we had to adapt to the change as well as our business strategy behind the chair.”

The first change K. Charles made was to use shine services as the new base color.

“Now, when we rebook our appointments at the end of a service, we book the next two appointments—one in five weeks for cut and shine and the second in 10 weeks for creative color and blow dry (and possibly another cut),” Rodriguez says.

Shine services at K. Charles range from $25 to $50, and junior colorists complete the service, giving them an opportunity to get their hands in hair and build relationships. Master colorists get 50 percent of the commission if the client is one of theirs, even though they don’t perform the service.

“Even though it’s not the same service ticket, we’re still bringing the clients back in. Before they wouldn’t come back for 10 to 12 weeks.”

And because of the way K. Charles schedules appointments in a team-based culture, the service is always with a stylist and the guest is not left unattended.

“Guests are still given the ultimate experience,” she says. “It has only been three or four months since we implemented this, but we’ve already seen the difference in color sales and return retention.”

Clients are thrilled with the new service strategy as well. Instead of coming back after a few months feeling unhappy with their dull color, they come in for a refresh at a reasonable price so their shade stays vibrant and shiny for the full 10-12 weeks.

“The guests love it so much they are calling independently to schedule shine appointments—it’s not only happening when the stylist rebooks,” she says.

Rodriguez also attributes some of the salon’s success with shine services to a contest they ran when the Demi+ line first launched.

“After the contest, it became habit for our stylists to market it,” she says. “They saw the return financially for themselves and the benefit of the guest coming in more often.”

Whether a client is in for a blow out, a haircut or a custom color appointment, K. Charles stylists are encouraged to upsell the shine service.

“Anybody can do the shine and it provides instant results—it only takes 15 minutes,” Rodriguez says.

Rodriguez sees more potential for the future.

“Lots of guests request master colorists for their custom color,” she says. “This gives junior colorists an opportunity because the guest sees instant results and builds trust in the colorist.”