marketing to mamas-to-be

“Although they need it the most, these clients often have the least amount of time to devote to pampering,” says Ingala. “They have to be convinced that this will help them to be better moms. Our ultimate goal is to provide a place where women can feel comfortable regardless of where they are in their lives.”

Spas reach out by including in their ads images of pregnant women or new moms with babies, targeting local parenting magazines and partnering with obstetricians, prenatal yoga instructors and childbirth educators. Zenana Spa also relies heavily on its website to draw women who do a general search on pregnancy services in the Portland area.

Sutherland points out that pregnancy offers a window of opportunity to appeal to women you might not otherwise attract. “What’s interesting about the pregnancy and motherhood market is that it’s well over 50 percent of the female population of every country,” she notes. “The U.S. has 6.5 million pregnancies at any given time, so there are new people coming into the market all the time.”

If you decide to enter the market gradually, pregnancy massage provides the smoothest transition, according to DeCamillis. Or, develop a half-day package of services with a name that indicates it’s customized for mothers-to-be. “You can offer the same services that any woman would want,” DeCamillis explains. “The difference will be that clients will lie on their side for the massage, and since they can’t sit for too long in the same position, you might want to break up the manicure and pedicure.”

What’s taking place physically frequently affects the woman’s emotional state, and a spa can come to her aid in that respect, too. If anxiety about delivery spikes her blood pressure, for example, a spa is arguably more therapeutic than medical care would be.

“The media focuses on fear-based information regarding pregnancy and birth,” says Ingala. “In movies, women in the delivery room are on their backs, screaming in agony, yelling at their husbands and described as being in the worst pain of their lives. So the pregnant woman often spends her time preparing for ‘the worst pain of her life.’ It doesn’t have to be that way. At the spa, she’ll hear positive birth stories, and she’s supported to help her go into delivery with no fear and survive just as women have survived for millions of years. Many of our staffers are mothers themselves. A lot of conversations occur during services where it’s one mom just talking to another.”

In order to empathize with the pregnant woman’s situation, spas even bend policy. For instance Spa Epidauros forgives third trimester clients for sudden cancellations that normally would generate a missed appointment fee. The spa also offers a specially priced, seven-month “spa club” membership because, typically, women confirm the pregnancy at about the second month.

The best part is that these clients understand how much it matters. “We’ve learned how profound everything becomes during a woman’s pregnancy,” notes Kienow. “You think about things differently when you’re pregnant.”

And you tend to express what you feel, observes Sutherland. “Spas tell us that they get more positive feedback from pregnancy treatments than any other treatments they’ve taken on,” she reports. “That’s because these clients so appreciate the services.”

maternity services deliver

“It’s important to recognize that the pregnant woman’s body undergoes a huge trauma,” says Sian Sutherland who, with two friends, developed the popular Mama Mio product line. “It’s a massive challenge to skin elasticity to gain and lose that weight. We get so many calls from women who ask, ‘What can I do about my boobs? I didn’t have cellulite before I was pregnant, and now look at my butt!’ As a spa, why would you turn away these clients instead of saying, ‘We want to be a haven for you at this most sensitive time of your life and then help you get your body back when it’s over,’ and keep the client?”

Part 1: Destination Relaxation

Part 2: Pregnancy Friendly Products

Part 3: Marketing to Mamas-To-Be

Part 4: Tips for Your Business