A new head office and training facility, multiple machine launches and a consumer campaign are all part of 3D-lipo’s plan to drive more clients into salons, discovers Georgia Seago

Brand View

Machines brand 3D-lipo moved into a new head office and training facility in May, marking the start of a new chapter for the brand as it enters the laser market and embarks on a £1million national media advertising campaign.

The 6,000sq ft former farm building outside Rugby that the brand now calls home incorporates an open-plan office with the upper floor kitted out for training. This was one of the main reasons for the move, to accommodate more therapists and be able to offer a more advanced level of training, says managing director Roy Cowley: “We only train at head office because we don’t have the capacity to do it onsite. With the new space, we can train almost double the number of therapists per month than the old space would allow for.”

Signature treatments

The new training room has capacity for 60 therapists a week, based on 15 per course. “The idea is now to bring in more advanced training protocols for our signature treatments, so once therapists have had their basic training we’ll be encouraging them back to keep developing and take it up to the next level to really become experts in carrying out those specialist treatments”, adds Cowley.

“3D” branded treatments such as the 3D-Bum Lift (fat removal, cellulite reduction and skin tightening), 5 Point Lower Lift (which targets the hips, stomach, inner thighs and buttocks) and Butterfly Effect (for sculpting and shaping stubborn areas) provide a point of difference for the brand’s accounts, compared to what they could offer with other equipment, and link in with the business’s other major focus this year – upping its spend on consumer-facing advertising campaigns and celebrity endorsements.

With reality TV stars such as Chloe Goodman, Jessica Shears and Olivia Buckland promoting these signature treatments in national media and at events, the next step is to train up more therapists to meet increased demand in salons. “We act nationally so the salons can act locally”, explains Cowley.

“Our media campaigns create a lot of awareness on a national scale and then our salons have to spread the word through their own channels to make sure people realise that it’s their brand that’s being featured”, he says, adding: “The celebrity profile has been proven to work; it benefits the company but it also benefits the 800-plus clinics that we have because the brand awareness creates hits on our website and we have a clinic locator that takes customers straight to the doors that offers that treatment.”

The training space; brand messaging; the selfie station; the refreshment area; the building exterior; brand timeline and company information on a wall in the training area; Cowley with brand ambassador and reality TV personality Chloe Goodman

Laser focus

The premises move also coincides with the launch of three new machines and 3D-lipo’s first foray into the laser sector with devices for hair removal, tattoo removal and vaginal rejuvenation.

“I felt these were the three areas that were going to be the most in-demand laser applications going forward”, says Cowley. “The big USP for us is the price points. Our aim has always been to bring to the market the latest technologies in an affordable way. Because of the cost of our equipment, salons can price their treatments at about half the price or less than their competitors who use other machines.” PB

THE POWER OF THREE

3D-lipo’s three new laser machines

NanoSure is a tattoo-removal platform that claims to remove 95% of tattoo ink. The platform uses a dual-wavelength Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, which produces a quick, powerful pulse that shatters tattoo ink without scarring. The 1064nm wavelength works out black, blue and other dark colours, while the 532nm removes bright shades.

3D-Trilogy Ice is a laser hair removal platform that combines three wavelengths – 755nm diode alexandrite, 808nm diode and 1064nm Nd:YAG – to target different tissue depths and anatomical structures within the hair follicle. It provides cooling on contact and has a touchscreen LED display.

For use by medical professionals only, Vjuve is a vaginal rejuvenation device that combines automatic 360-degree fractional CO2 laser for tightening with a separate hand piece for vulva and facial skin rejuvenation and a CO2 micro applicator for minor skin lesions. It treats urinary incontinence, vaginal atrophy and vaginal dryness.