marlo marketing. fully integrated marketing, public relations, and creative services agency based in Boston, Massachusetts and New York City

From influencer engagement for luxury hotels to website design for restaurants to public relations for iconic beer brands, we cover a lot of ground.

In industry lingo, we’re considered a full-service integrated consumer marketing agency.

In our lingo? We just get sh*t done.

Case Study: Be Styled

Overview

In 2013, CTN Salons approached marlo marketing to develop a soup-to-nuts brand identity for a quick-service women’s hair salon chain offering no cuts or color—just blowouts and dry styling. The business concept had already been introduced in other parts of the country, but Boston consumers and media were unfamiliar with the trend. CTN hoped to dominate the Boston market and then expand the concept across the U.S.

Assignment

  • Develop a thoughtful and strategic visual brand identity including name, logo, interior and exterior signage, and all collateral.
  • Design and develop a website reflective of the new brand including copywriting.
  • Create and implement a holistic marketing plan including PR, email marketing, social media content creation/management/engagement and SEO.

Strategy

  • Complete significant competitive industry research before naming the company “Be Styled,” creating the tagline “be pretty every day,” and developing the brand’s nomenclature around hairstyles, gift cards, loyalty cards, and more.
  • Determine a visual theme for the salon called “ethereal sophistication,” to serve as the inspiration for all brand initiatives.
  • Create a logo that is feminine, romantic, and delicate, and interim messages/graphics, including a website holding page, ‘coming soon’ window graphics, and media/blogger mailers that teased the opening — “be prepared to be pretty.”
  • Develop a color palette (pale blue, peach and charcoal gray) that distinguished the brand from other blowdry salons, that was then incorporated into the interior design.
  • Design a dual-usage interactive website/in-store experience that allowed the guest to see photographs of all of the hairstyles based on specific hair color and length.
  • Write all messaging materials and execute strategic media relations campaign.

Results

CaseStudyIcons ComingSoon 15

The cohesive, unique branding positioned the salon as a serious new contender in the blowdry arena. Supporting teaser pieces enticed several key editors and blogger communities to come in and check out the salon pre-opening

CaseStudyIcons Placements 01

Coverage was secured in every local outlet including a full page in Boston Common magazine, a salon spotlight in American Salon, and a business trend story in The Boston Globe

CaseStudyIcons CalendarBooking 08

Daily bookings at the first location in the first month beat investors’ estimated projections by 20%

CaseStudyIcons LocationExpansion 16

CTN expanded from one salon to three in Massachusetts, and a franchise location in Tennessee, in under one year