The JCTA 2017/2018 Social Media Campaign is set to start again this year on December 1. Thanks to all the members that support the JCTA with the purchase of a membership, plus the loonie per supplier invoice program. This will be similar to what we did last year, with minor tweaks. The campaign drove 1000s of Canadian to TanResponsibly.ca to see our message about moderate/controlled sunbathing and cosmetic (spray) tanning. Plus, if you were a JCTA member, the geotargeting salon finder pulls the closest 3 salons to the person clicking on the website.

The Geotargeting Salon Finder goes even further than you think, when a Canadian clicks on a specific salon, it brings up all their information, from a map that shows how close that person is to the salons, directions, phone number, a link to the salons website/Facebook page/other web links. The salon page identifies what services they offer with icons. Just so everyone knows, by crosslinking with the JCTA consumer website, it increases your SEO, or your presence on Google searches. So if you want to optimize your ranking on Google, make sure you check out the Salon Website TanCanada.org for more information when you login as a member and click on Member Resources.

This year’s campaign will start off with getting ready for a sunny vacation and how acclimatizing your skin for a higher UV Index in the tropics is essential for sunburn prevention. Creating natural photoprotection is key for a person to have dual protection from sunburning. Let’s not forget the reason 1000s upon 1000s of Canadian come back every year; so they can enjoy a sunny vacation without overexposing themselves. The campaign is scheduled to run Dec 1 to Feb 15.

The second part of the campaign will include making that summer glow a part of your lifestyle. Whether it be indoor sunbathing or cosmetic (spray) tanning, make it part of your weekly routine. We found out last year how video imagery worked so much better than still images. We also found out how Google AdWords was better for how much time someone spent on the consumer website. The JCTA Marketing Committee decided to use more of the marketing funds on Google this year. The campaign will start Feb 1 and go to the end of April.

The 3^rd campaign will start in March and end in June, which will be our Sunburn Prevention campaign. There will be a new section and pages added to the www.TanResponsibly.ca consumer page to give Canadians a checklist to how to lower their risk of overexposure/sunburning. On the page, the consumer will see two checklists, one for indoor sunbathing and the other for outdoor. They’ll also see a section on “Did you Know” that will have information about how research has shown that sunbeds are not the problem, it’s the person controlling it. It will explain how the industry is following Professional Standards to lower risk and it seems to be working. These new pages are coming in December, so you may want to check it out.

The 4^th part of the campaign will be all about cosmetic (spray) tanning for that special occasion. The main focus will be on Spray (cosmetic) but will include sunbathing.

The 2017/2018 campaign again will include ads that get a person to find a JCTA Member Salon. This will be throughout all the campaigns above and will also include Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to make sure Member Salons are at the top of the list when someone searches for a salon near them.

For our Alberta salons, it was announced in October that the regulations for tanning facilities will start January 1, 2018. They will include a ban under the age 18 (JCTA Members already follow), 4 warning signs – luckily small in the lobby area and 1 warning image sign in each sunbed/booth room. It was disappointing the government did not involve us in the signage discussion. There are other parts to the regulations, which once completed, the JCTA will do a complete review and let our members know, so they’re prepared for January 1.

The JCTA would like to thank the 3 salons that participated in the NEWLY released Canadian research paper on Sunbeds and Vitamin D. This research is the first of it kind in the world. It took 3 years to get published. The JCTA felt it was mostly political reason for how long it took. The research shows, for the first time, that sunbeds that emit UVB in the range of what sunlight does on a summer day and produced vitamin D in a real-world situation. When a tan (photoprotection) was created after 4 weeks; vitamin d levels continued to climb for the 12-week period. This showed that a tan controlled the exposure, so someone would not sunburn (research showed following exposure schedules on equipment showed no adverse effect or sunburn), but doesn’t stop vitamin D production. The exposure was over 6 times the starting exposure. You need to read this research; it could show your salon makes vitamin D.

I hope after reading this article you see the need to be a member. For less than 57 cents a day (monthly payment available), you can help grow this community and make yourself more successful. Check out why you should be member at “Why Join The JCTA.” Or you can contact the JCTA at 1.800.915.0367 or Info@TanCanada.org

Thank you all that support the JCTA!