Challenge

Great Clips was searching for a dedicated partner in their efforts to strengthen brand messaging through one to one campaign management at the national and local level. They needed a partner nimble enough to grow and evolve as Great Clips grew and their needs changed. According to Great Clips, finding a solution with the capacity for local level support and the ability to adapt to emerging channels like digital marketing posed an ongoing challenge.

Ultimately, Great Clips needed to integrate these capabilities into a cost-effective, seamless process that could be highly measurable and produce results. While it was easy to imagine that type of one to one marketing platform, Great Clips realized such a platform could be technically daunting to achieve in reality.

Solution

Bluewater implemented Fusion, an integrated, multi-channel marketing platform that allows Great Clips to streamline their marketing process and enhance the integrity of their brand. Fusion armed regional marketing managers and franchisees with a consistent brand strategy and empowered them to execute on that strategy through comprehensive campaign management.

Fusion provides complete management of franchise marketing campaigns for Great Clips by integrating traditional and digital channels including one to one mail, email and mobile marketing. Today, the Bluewater strategic team continues to collaborate with Great Clips executives providing insights into future marketing opportunities, trends and strategies to maintain relevancy for the world’s largest salon brand.

Results

Brand Integrity

• Local salons experienced growth, stronger brand integrity and increased success on the entire franchise system level with the use of integrated mail and digital campaigns.
• Salons at all levels are now working from the same creative assets and business rules, eliminating any potential brand distortion.

ROI

• Great Clips salons have experienced ROI as high as 507% on local campaigns.
• Great Clips saw exponential organic growth of an engaged client email list with delivery rates of over 99% in less than one year.

Proactive Service

• Bluewater became an extension of Great Clips’ brand marketing team as a true partner who knew and understood the brand.
• Consistent local marketing education and support for over 3,000 locations.

Greater Efficiency

• Through Bluewater, Great Clips offers marketing programs to franchisees at a much lower cost. This outcome drives franchisees into a “best practice” mode, providing them tools to operate easy, cost-effective local marketing campaigns that maintain brand integrity.

Strategic Relationships

• The long relationship between Bluewater and Great Clips has been a truly collaborative partnership. Bluewater understands the business at a corporate level yet knows how to successfully implement strategies at a local level.
• Bluewater communicates with franchisees on a daily basis, receiving and understanding franchisee feedback. This often leads to remarkably effective enhancements to Great Clips’ one to one marketing program.

Franchisee Testimonials

“I love Bluewater! I’m running Weekly Trial and Monthly Lapsed Campaigns for all 10 of my salons. Why wouldn’t I… they are GREAT!”

– David Hands, Great Clips Multi-Unit Franchise Owner

“I have used most of the services available for our salons through Bluewater and highly recommend incorporating them in your marketing plan.”

– Tim Muetzel, Great Clips Multi-Unit Franchise Owner