Cause-Related Marketing in Your Massage Practice

(Sorry it's been a while. I've been a busy bee...)

The economy isn't so hot right now, as if you need me to tell you. Unfortunately, that has a lot of implications for massage therapy. As a teacher, I get asked a lot about what the job prospects for massage therapists are these days. "Is there a market?", "Will I be able to find a job when I'm done with school?" I get asked a lot. From what I have seen, my graduates have still been able to find jobs, but the current state of the economy has created a bit of turmoil in our industry. What I've seen lately is that businesses that were on shaky footing may be closing their doors, laying off workers, or cutting hours and wages. Others seem to be experiencing an increase in business. There are many experienced therapists out looking right now. I haven't seen a drop in demand for massage therapy, but I have seen some shaking up as MTs move around. What gives?

Massage As a Luxury
Unfortunately, there are many people out there who still see massage therapy as a luxury service and not a necessary one. When the economy turns south, discretionary spending on luxuries is the first thing to go. Yesterday on NPR's Marketplace there was an item about shopper's guilt. It's a phenomenon in which in a down economy, people feel guilty about spending money on things that aren't seen as necessary. It kind of feels like you're rubbing it in on the less fortunate. So what can a massage therapist do to overcome shopper's guilt?

Cause-Related Marketing
This is a practice in which when a consumer makes a purchase, a part of the sale is donated to a charity. It can assuage the guilt associated with the purchase in hard times. The nice thing is that the donation is actually tied to a sale instead of just asking for money. You might even consider matching the client's contribution up to a limited dollar amount. You could support a cause that is dear to your heart or allow the client to select a charity of their choice. Both have advantages, some of which are discussed in the next section. Allowing the clients to choose their favorite charity can add value to your service and make it more personal.

Working with a Charity
Another option is to actually partner with a charity for mutual benefit. This can be practiced in a variety of forms, including the following:

• providing complimentary services to the charity for them to use in their marketing efforts, gift certificates work well because they are easily transferrable
  
• offer your services at their events with half or more of the proceeds supporting the cause
• health education - teach the organization or the groups they serve. You may just pick up some clients

In this season of giving amidst a backdrop of economic uncertainty, give your clients a way to feel better about the money they spend while helping to make the world a better place. What could be better?

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