The non-profit, inclusive organisation British Beauty Council has proudly presented the new national campaign Oh Hello Beauty to drive customers back into hair and beauty salons for a robust recovery in the beauty business.
Since March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has put more than 7,300 salons across the UK out of business. Although some salons in England were able to reopen on 12 April 2021, they are currently running at 30% less capacity due to restrictions. This results in 3 million fewer appointments than would have been otherwise. Apparently, the British Beauty Council is concerned that many more businesses would suffer the same fate, unless people start returning for treatments.
Millie Kendall, British Beauty Council’s chief executive said: ‘We need to support the high street and city centre premises-based businesses. The personal care sector has not only struggled with the many months of closure and the ongoing costs related to keeping their businesses alive – but they are also not yet seeing the numbers of clients coming back to salons and stores that they had pre-Covid’.
‘We need to bring the joy back to beauty by encouraging clients to come back to experience the array of services we offer – most of these require immense skill and can’t always be replicated at home’.
Following the British Beauty Council’s ambition to bring sustainability and positive change in the beauty industry, this digital campaign aims to show how hair, wellness and beauty services can help people feel their best. It was developed in partnership with creative agency M&C Saatchi and the organisation’s patrons Zenith Media, Facebook INC, including the new sponsor JCDecaux.
Dianna Kennedy, Head of Partnership & Engagement said: ‘The British Beauty Council is dedicated to supporting businesses in all areas of the personal care sector, which has struggled so much since the start of the pandemic’.
‘Our Patrons play a key role in helping us to do this effectively, providing a wide range of member benefits and supporting us to promote and champion change within the sector. We are delighted to welcome JCDecaux UK as a new Patron, providing straightforward and effective access to Out-of-Home media and insights for our members’.
According to the British Beauty Council, the UK’s £30bn beauty industry was one of the sectors most massively impacted by coronavirus measures, with hair and beauty salons closed for 140 days of lockdown. Additionally, the beauty industry contributes £30bn to the UK’s economy more than pubs, which contribute £23bn on an annual basis. It employs more than 600,000 people, of which more than 80% are womxn. However, the full-time equivalent employment numbers are down 21% in 2019 as staff hours were cut and redundancies made despite the furlough scheme.
‘The beauty sector is so crucial to our recovery from Covid, not only for boosting jobs and local high streets but also for the career opportunities it provides to so many young people, particularly women, and the uplift beauty treatments can give to people’s mental health and wellbeing’, said Paul Scully, Small Business Minister.
‘I have had two drastically-needed post-lockdown haircuts in the last year so I know for myself how important it is to back these vital businesses and keep salons thriving’, he noted.
Spas and salons interested in contributing to this campaign can download the Oh Hello Beauty poster and social media assets on the British Beauty Council website.