Shining A New Spotlight ist Magazine's "Salons of Distinction"

With a new year comes change, and ist Magazine plans to feature tanning salons in a more distinctive manner in 2014.

Beginning in January, ist Magazine will launch the newly-created Salons of Distinction feature. These monthly articles will be more than a simple repackaging of the well-established “Salon Spotlight” feature; instead, its purpose is to showcase hard working tanning salon professionals while also presenting a unified message that this industry’s future must be one of moderate tanning without making health claims. Salon operators willing to market and promote their trade in a responsible manner will earn the honor of being named a Salon of Distinction.

Vince Lorraine, ist publisher, recently decided to highlight only those salon owners who believe in abandoning the practice of making health claims about indoor tanning services. While this position draws a clear line in the sand, Lorraine believes it will best serve both the publication and the industry. “As the tanning industry’s premiere publication,” he said, “we will conduct our due diligence to ensure that no salon featured in our pages makes health claims to their guests such as, ‘tanning cures cancer, diabetes and cavities.’ These types of claims are illegal according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and nothing but harm has come to our industry when its members try to make them. We will not highlight any salon owner who makes them, period!”

Since its first issue in February 1997, the publication’s editorial direction has focused upon the tanning salon sector. The Salons of Distinction feature will be a continuation of this tradition, Lorraine says. “When we feature a salon,” he added, “we interview the owners about why they decided to pursue the tanning business, what kind of equipment and products they offer and the most effective ways they market their services. Going forward, we’ll also ask whether owners about their willingness to market and promote their services in a skilled and responsible manner. To become a Salon of Distinction, they must be dedicated to doing business as tanning professionals.”

When it comes to the issue of making health claims to promote indoor tanning, it’s no secret where ist Magazine stands. From Publisher Vince Lorraine’s monthly letters to readers to the creation of the Sun is Life training program, ist has stood its ground in the belief that publicly making commercial health claims about indoor tanning continues to bring harm to the entire industry. “It’s not our place to play doctor,” Lorraine commented. “Cosmetic tanning is about vanity and looking good, and it can be a relatively risk-free part of a person’s lifestyle when used in moderation and provided in professional salons by well-trained and responsible staff who are trained as tradespeople.”

Avoiding health claims about UV sessions is the cornerstone upon which ist’s Sun is Life® training program is built. “By educating and training owners and their staff about the damage that practice can do, we’re raising the level of professionalism that we project into the marketplace,” Vince said. “This puts indoor tanning in a much better light within each of our communities and will help restore this industry in the eyes of the consumers.” Sun is Life is an online salon operator training course consisting of 25 user-friendly modules and offers a Guest Experience Medallion (GEM) certificate upon completion. The Sun is Life Certification course satisfies state tanning facility certification requirements.

To recap: Beginning in 2014, all salon owners wishing to have their businesses featured in ist Magazine must have a solid business plan and a professional staff, and they also must market their business without making health claims. This change will be good for the publication and the industry as a whole because it presents the unified message of moderation that indoor tanning has needed for a long time. If you would like your business to be recognized as a Salon of Distinction, feel free to contact us at your soonest convenience to discuss.

Thanks Again!

A Quick Look Back

As everyone on Team ist looks forward to the 2014 “Salons of Distinction,” we’d also like to look back and recognize all the salons featured in the publication in 2013. While many are industry veterans, others are relatively new to the biz, yet they all share a desire to be top salon operators. So, without further ado, here are the tanning pros who made this year’s collection of Salon Spotlight, Sunless Only and Welcome Wagon features a success!