PART TWO
2008 VS. 2026: The Male Spa Guest, Reconsidered
BEYOND INCLUSION Relevance by design
Relevance is not a marketing tactic. It is an operating principle.
BY MICHAEL BRUGGEMAN
THE MAN WHO ONCE NEEDED PERMISSION now expects relevance.
For spa leaders, that shift raises a practical question: What should happen after he walks through the door?
ACCESS IS NOT ALIGNMENT
Over the past two decades, operators made meaningful efforts to attract male consumers. Website imagery changed.
Marketing evolved. Treatment menus expanded. Brands worked to make men feel more welcome.
Those efforts mattered. Most, however, focused on access rather than alignment. The goal was getting men through the door. Far less attention was given to what happened after they arrived.
Relatively few organizations have challenged the assumptions underpinning the guest experience itself.
Part 1 of this series explored the evolution of the male spa guest between 2008 and 2026.
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