Specialized magazines, newsletters, and trade journals devoted to beauty include product information, reports on the status of the profession, and various beauty association interests and activities—including government lobbying actions, articles on trends, and professional advice for both new practitioners and seasoned entrepreneurs.
Catering to a wide range of beauty industry interests, trade journals may be geared toward specialties within the profession or the broader professional market. Published in both printed and online formats, these trade journals have a long history as being guides for professional development and expansion of the industry. Published by both trade associations, such as the Professional Beauty Association, and private companies such as Creative Age Publishing, trade journals are not geared toward the mass market, or even the retail market, but rather toward manufacturers, distributors, spa owners/operators, and entrepreneurs who have broader influence than the corner drug store beauty aisles.
Mass market magazines for the beauty consumer often overlap in appearance and sometimes in content. In the United States, the oldest fashion or ladies’ magazines were Godey’s Lady’s Book (1830) and Peterson’s Magazine (1842). Many current magazines cater to specific audiences, such as Vogue, Seventeen, and Essence, and with the proliferation of online versions, the content lines between professionally targeted trade journals and mass market beauty magazines is becoming blurred.
Large Publishing Companies
Creative Age Publishing (www.creativeage.com), established in 1971 by Deborah Carver, targets special segments of the beauty industry. The beauty publishing section launched in 1989 is now one of the largest beauty publishers in the nation. Its journals include Launchpad, DAYSpa, and NailPro.
Launchpad provides up-to-date information on hair, makeup, and fashion trends, and features the launch of new products geared toward salon professionals. It has a circulation of around 60,000.
DAYSpa has been in publication since 1996 and is targeted to day spa owners and managers, providing information on products, service trends, treatments, staffing, client retention, marketing, money management, industry news, and legal issues.
NailPro is the original beauty industry magazine, and was launched by Carver in 1989. With a circulation of 61,000, it is geared towards salon owners and professionals interested in building or maintaining a successful nail care business.
Modern Salon Media is a subsidiary of Vance Publishing (www.vancepublishing.com), founded in 1937, which serves business-to-business markets, including 20 magazines. Modern Salon Media publishes First Chair Success Guide, Modern Salon, and Salon Today.
First Chair Success Guide is a biannual publication and Web site (www.firstchair. com) geared to new salon and spa professionals. It is designed to help new professionals build a career and connect with effective salon and industry partners.
Modern Salon was first published in February 1924 as Modern Beauty Shop. It circulates to 117,000 stylists, salon and spa owners, managers, professional hair colorists, and estheticians in the United States and Canada. It includes articles and features that provide step-by-step education for hairstylists. In 2008, Modern Salon became the official publication of America’s Beauty Show.
Salon Today Magazine is a monthly for salon and spa owners. It includes business-to-business ideas and strategies for growing businesses and has several special annual issues, including the Salon Today 200 award issue.
The Professional Beauty Association (www.probeauty.com) (PBA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the beauty industry, including manufacturers, distributors, salons, and spas. It serves as the source for information on business tools, education, government advocacy, networking, and trade shows to improve individual businesses and promote the professionalization of the industry. It publishes approximately 15 guides and reports, both online and in print.
One of its publications is PBA Progress, the association’s quarterly newsletter, which keeps salon professionals up to date on industry news and the association’s activities, including its government advocacy efforts. The journal is subdivided into sections targeting the general membership, distributors/stores, manufacturers/ representatives, and salons/spas.
Another PBA publication is National Profile of the Salon Industry, which annually provides a national profile of the U.S. salon industry based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. First commissioned in 2005, the report includes the number of salon-industry establishments, sales volume, number of employees, weekly hours and wages, workforce diversity, and other relevant industry information.
PBA Beauty Industry Guide is an online resource published jointly by the PBA and Multiview. It provides access to an extensive directory of industry-specific products and services.
Portrait of the U.S. Salon/Spa Industry by Congressional District is a PBA report including salon establishment and employment estimates and the names of the congressional representatives for all 435 congressional districts in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
Salon and Day Spa Consumer Trend Report, first published in 2007, reports the findings of studies commissioned by the PBA. It provides information about the target audiences of salons and day spas in the United States and Canada, to help industry professionals target their marketing strategies to identify, recruit, and retain customers.
Questex Media Group (www.questex.com) is a print and digital media publication group catering to business and professionals in 11 different markets, with linkages to marketing clients in the field. In the beauty and wellness market, Questex publishes American Salon, American Spa Magazine, and The Green Book.
American Salon (www.americansalonmag.com) is the official trade magazine of the National Cosmetology Association. Approximately 130 years old, with a monthly circulation of 123,000, it targets salon owners, managers, and beauty professionals. It addresses trends in hair, nails, skincare, and other treatments.
American Spa Magazine, first published in 1997, has a monthly circulation of 28,000 spa owners, managers, and skincare professionals. It provides information on spa products and services.
The Green Book is an annual comprehensive listing of all hair product and tool manufacturers and distributors, beauty schools, professional and trade organizations, and trade shows. Compiled from industry statistics and reports from 21 trade associations, the journal has a circulation of 35,000.
Other popular trade journals are listed below.
The Beauty Industry Report (www.bironline.com) is a monthly newsletter started in 1997 that provides information to management about the professional beauty business, leading companies, and professionals.
Estetica is an international trade publication for the hairdressing industry that comes out four times a year in the United Sates and five in the United Kingdom. It was first published in Italy in 1946 and is now has 24 different editions around the world; it is one of the largest trade magazines. The magazine features the latest hairstyling trends, news and events, technical advice, interviews with international and local professionals and stylists, and product and accessory information.
Hairdressers Journal International (www.hji.co.uk) is one of the oldest trade journals, with a 125-year history. It is a weekly publication containing a range of information including techniques, trends, product news, business news, advice, and job listings. It is published in the United Kingdom by Reed Business Information. Les Nouvelles Esthetiques, first published in Paris in 1952, is a monthly publication (www.nouvelles-esthetiques.com/ ) with a worldwide circulation. It is published in 30 countries, including the United States, Brazil, France, Italy, Russia, China, Japan, South Africa, and Australia. It provides the latest information on the spa industry, including skin care, body care, nails, makeup, hair care, therapies, and business management.
Nails Magazine (www.nailsmag.com) is a monthly trade journal for nail professionals and salon owners. It has been published for over 25 years by Bobit Business Media in Torrance, California.
OTC Beauty Magazine is a monthly bilingual (Korean and English) trade publication. It was established in 2002, and is geared toward beauty supply retail store owners, manufacturers, distributors, and industry professionals.
Salon is published monthly in Canada in English and French by Salon Communications, Inc., for hair professionals. Salon 52 is a weekly online version (www. salon52.ca).
Salon Business magazine (www.salonbusiness.co.uk /index.htm) is published monthly by Salon Gold Publishing in the United Kingdom. It provides industry news, previews the latest products, and offers reviews, editorials, and business advice for U.K. salon owners and professional hairdressers.
Salon Life is the quarterly trade journal published by the National Cosmetology Association (NCA, founded in 1921) for its new members. Its articles address the heath, wealth, and well-being of salon professionals. Accessed through the NCA Web site, http://www.cares.org/, it is supplemented by a blog and video library.
Skin Inc. (www.skininc.com) is intended for day spa, medical spa, and wellness professionals. Published monthly by Allured Business Media, it includes information about spa business solutions, skin science, and spa treatment trends.
Increasingly, trade publications are being made available in online formats. Interactive Web portals are emerging for use by the hairdressing industry as well.
Some of the largest include www.salonchannel.com, www.behindthechair.com, www.beautytech.com, and www.spatrade.com.
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