Titanic Spa, in Linthwaite, Huddersfield, won the Marketing Award at the 2007 British Beauty & Spa Awards. It was second time lucky for spa director Warrick Burton and his team, after being named as a finalist in the category last year.

Says Warrick: “We were delighted to win. I believe the success of the spa is based on its eco-philosophy and being clever with a modest budget to introduce the spa to what is, traditionally, an industrial region. This award is a powerful thing and it means a lot to us all.”

Marketing is a key element of any business, and the judges recognised this in Titanic Spa, stating: “This year’s winner was professional, succinct, intelligent and credible – a beautiful marketing portfolio.”

The spa has made huge efforts with its marketing programme, working across several different media – from online to local businesses – to spread the word about its exceptional services.

“From the outset Titanic Spa sourced third-party marketing partnerships with companies such as SpaBreak, Spa Seekers, Red Letter Days and Activity Superstore. This enabled us to gain exposure to the public through the retail market and to be recognised with the top venues in the UK,” explains Warrick. “In April 2007, the spa participated in a TravelZoo spa offer to 300,000 email subscribers, which generated more than £48,000 revenue.”

To attract a local market, Titanic has created Taster Days and Sunset Evenings – day and evening workshops that enable clients to experience the facilities the spa offers – and, from these, secure a series bookings of individual treatments.

Each of the Taster Days begins with refreshments in the spa’s Bistro, followed by a therapy demonstration, individual treatment consultation, a light lunch in the Bistro and use of a selection of facilities available at the spa. The day begins at 9.30am and finishes around 4pm.

The cleverly named treatment packages include ‘Wrap yourself up at Titanic Spa’, which features a winter body wrap (from Detox Seaweed Thalasso Wrap through to Moroccan Cocoon with Rassoul Wrap) and heat experience costing £50; and ‘These bones, these bones, these hot stones’, combining stone placement and massage techniques to melt away stress, tension, aches and pains. The experience also includes the use of Club Titanic (the health and fitness club with swimming pool) at £50.

Choice of treatments
In contrast, the Sunset Evenings run from 6pm until 9pm with canapés and a glass of champagne on arrival. Treatments are a choice of mini- facial, manicure, pedicure or target massage at £30, with £20 being redeemable against two or more purchases on the night. In addition, clients receive a 15% discount on future bookings made for treatments or day packages.

“Local business networking events provide corporate business, as well as attending wedding fairs with local hotels,” adds Warrick.

Identifying itself as a day spa until its hotel is completed, and recognising the importance of the residential spa market, Titanic Spa sought to rent 11 apartments within the Titanic Mill (see panel), creating a series of residential packages around the concept of “more than just a hotel room”.

An example of this, which taps in to the growing men’s market, is the men-only package (Strictly Male). It encompasses overnight accommodation in one of the apartments, continental breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Bistro, the Titanic heat experience, Elemis Urban Cleanse Facial, Decléor Aroma Back Relief Massage and Indian head massage.

Titanic’s colossal success is in part down to three key marketing and business strategies that have led to a major financial turn in its business, explains Warrick:

- The introduction of Decléor and Elemis ranges in January 2007
- Creating accommodation on-site through apartment rentals
- Revamping the website and creating a content management system enabling management
of the site in-house, resulting in a significant increase in traffic through an online marketing
campaign.

He adds: “Our marketing activities are inventive, creative and aim ourselves at the top. We have a qualitative database of both existing clients and potential users that we regularly send direct mail or emails to, advising them of promotional events.”

Titanic Spa also works in partnership with The Spa PR Company to drive local, regional and national journalist visits, reader offers and competitions to gain exposure in national magazines and newspapers. “We have enjoyed features in The Guardian, The Times Body and Soul, New Woman, Daily Telegraph, She, Green Magazine, and were listed in the Top 50 Spas to Visit in the World by The Independent. These work hand-in-hand with our comprehensive advertising campaigns,” says Warrick.

“A dedicated team of 53 staff work at Titanic Spa, who believe our attentive and individualised service is the hallmark of the spa. When you combine the facilities of Titanic Spa, we truly offer an unsurpassed spa experience,” he says.

WHAT’S ON THE MENUThe spa has 20 treatment rooms (including a dual treatment room), along with a hair studio and nail bar. Professional product ranges are Decléor and Elemis, as well as the Jane Iredale mineral make-up range and Jessica for nailcare. Redken is the chosen line for haircare.

Heat experience: aromatherapy room, crystal steam room, footbaths, sauna, saunarium, ice room, plunge pool, experience showers and relaxation room.

Club Titanic: TechnoGym, 15m salt-regulated swimming pool, hydrozone, Jacuzzi-style pool, poolside steam and sauna rooms.

The Bistro serves lunch, dinner and refreshments using seasonal local produce.