Stop thinking of yourself as just a salon.
Ever feel like there are unwritten rules about what a salon can and can’t do? I have.
I recently sat down with Mack Olsen, co-owner of the super cool yello salon in Portland, and he challenged that whole mindset. Mack comes from a retail background, and he brought that perspective into the salon world alongside his partner, Kaylee.
Play the short…
… and watch the full episode 66 of Marketing 100 where Mack Olsen shares how yello salon is redefining what’s possible with creative retail partnerships and brand collaborations.
Continue reading below to learn how Mack and Yello Salon built successful partnerships with local brands, from tennis clubs to women’s sports bars, and get practical tips for creating your own salon collaborations.
Ready to put these ideas into action? Jumpstart your efforts with our Salon Asset Inventory Checklist, Partnership Pitch Email Templates, and Local Collaboration Brainstorming Guide.
Think Like a Retail Brand (But Better)
Mack had a real lightbulb moment coming from retail. He said, “When I think of, like, a retail brand, all they are is they’re a marketing agency, really… they market their product.”
But salons? We make the product – the transformation – and get that incredible client connection time. He challenged the idea that salons couldn’t explore collaborations or run successful pop-up shops.
Think about it. Brands would kill for the 1-3 hours of focused attention stylists get with a client.
Mack shared, “You get to be one on one with a client for one to three hours, which big brands would dream of having… that’s really valuable.”
Know Your Salon’s True Value
So, how do you leverage that value? First, you have to actually see it.
Mack admitted, “When we were first starting, we honestly didn’t value ourselves, and we were giving out deals… trying to just get people in.”
The shift happened when they stopped focusing only on filling chairs and started inventorying their real assets.
One huge asset? Their clientele: primarily trendy 19-25 year olds in Portland. That demographic is gold for certain brands. Mack even compared it to how advertisers value screen time.
This doesn’t mean plastering your mirrors with ads.
But it does mean recognizing that your client’s time in the chair is incredibly valuable.
While they’re looking in that mirror, they’re seeing your retail products on display, experiencing your branded environment, and most importantly, building a relationship with you and your salon.
Armed with this understanding of their value, they looked at their expenses, including the premium beverages they were purchasing for clients.
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Mack had a realization:
We’re giving these drink companies access to our valuable clientele during that focused mirror time. Companies should be giving this to us for free!
He started reaching out to local drink brands, highlighting the value yello offered: direct access to that coveted demographic enjoying a drink during their service.
This is smart niche marketing – focusing on that specific group of 19-25 year olds makes yello super attractive to brands wanting to reach them.
Some brands said no, some offered discounts, but others jumped at the chance, providing free products.
Finding the Right Partners
Yello didn’t stop at drinks. They looked beyond typical salon products, creating things like hair clips and hats, proving the power of marketing salon merchandise effectively.
For their tennis collection, they reached out to Portland’s oldest tennis club. Many club members were already yello clients. Yello offered its social media strength (an area the club lacked) in exchange for the club’s prestigious brand association.
Finding the right fit is key. Mack emphasized partnering with brands that share your vision. When brands align, it creates positive brand association, making customers trust both partners more.
Yello’s motto is “be the sunniest place in Portland,” focusing on a vibrant, like-minded community.
Another example is their partnership with The Sports Bra, a popular Portland bar showing only women’s sports.
This collaboration showcases how different partnerships can leverage different assets. While Yello offered social media expertise to the tennis club, with The Sports Bra, they brought different strengths to the table.
Mack explained:
The Sports Bra had a massive citywide social following, way beyond our niche audience. But what we did have is really good retail production capabilities and design skills.
They’re creating co-branded merch that leverages The Sports Bra’s wider reach while showcasing yello’s design aesthetic, perfectly timing with Portland’s growing excitement around women’s sports.
Just Ask for What You Want
How do these partnerships start?
Mack advises, “Once you know your value, you know what you have to offer. So I just kinda go in and reach out blindly and tell them what I wanna do.” We talked about how crucial that directness is.
If the vision doesn’t align, it’s better to know upfront rather than forcing a partnership that isn’t a true win-win.
Be prepared for some ‘no’s,’ but don’t be afraid to state your vision clearly.
Implementation Roadmap: How to Start Your Own Partnerships
1. Inventory Your Salon’s Unique Assets
Before approaching any potential partners, make a comprehensive list of what you bring to the table:
- Your physical space – Is it Instagram-worthy? Perfect for events?
- Your client demographic – Age range, income level, interests
- Your social media reach – Is it substantial or highly engaged?
- Your team’s talents – Beyond hair services (photography, content creation, etc.)
- Your brand values and aesthetic – What do you stand for?
2. Identify Compatible Partners
Look for brands that:
- Share your values and aesthetic
- Want access to your specific client demographic
- Offer complementary (not competing) products or services
- Have something you need (products, visibility, expertise)
3. Make a Compelling Pitch
When approaching potential partners, Mack suggests being specific about:
- Exactly what you’re proposing (be concrete)
- What’s in it for them (quantify when possible)
- Why your two brands are a natural fit
- A simple next step to move forward
4. Start Small and Build
Mack didn’t launch with major partnerships right away:
- Begin with low-risk collaborations (like the beverage partnerships)
- Document results to use in future pitches
- Use early successes to approach bigger potential partners
- Build long-term relationships rather than one-off promotions
Even if you don’t have a retail line or huge social media following, you have something. Maybe it’s a beautiful space perfect for hosting events? Or a great relationship with the coffee shop next door? Get creative.
Whatever that one thing is… you gotta know what you have and know the value in it
When you value yourself and understand what you bring to the table, you can elevate your brand by collaborating and promoting others.
It’s about adding value, much like making the client experience seamless. Speaking of seamless experiences, Mack mentioned choosing Mangomint for yello partly because it made booking so simple for clients – no annoying account creation upfront.
Check out Mack, Kaylee, and Yello Salon at https://yello.salon/ to see these innovative partnership strategies in action
Ready to Build Your Own Profitable Partnerships?
Inspired by Mack’s approach? Put these ideas into action with our exclusive resources designed to help you identify your value and forge successful collaborations:
1. Download the Salon Asset Inventory Checklist: Pinpoint exactly what unique strengths and assets your salon brings to the table before you start outreach.
2. Get the Partnership Pitch Email Templates: Craft compelling, direct pitches using these customizable templates based on successful outreach strategies.
3. Explore the Local Collaboration Brainstorming Guide: Spark creative ideas for mutually beneficial partnerships with other local businesses and organizations in your community.
P.S. For even more proven salon marketing tips, don’t forget to check out the rest of our Marketing 100 series.
