As Aesthetic Medical business consultants, we regularly launch for our clients between 10-20 medical spas each year. Every time we meet a new client to develop and launch their practice, we hear something different regarding their preference for ‘med-’ or ‘medi-’ spa.

You may think this is a non-issue, but as consultants, we like to analyze metrics, data, and the voice of customer, or VOC. We’ve found some concrete evidence that points to why ‘medspa’ should reign triumphant.

Looking at the Data

We’ve asked the aesthetic medical marketing experts at our sister company, Reach Beyond Marketing, to do an analysis of Google keyword searches for these two words. Our Search engine marketing specialists informed us that people do not search for words like ‘medspa’ or ‘mediSpa’ when they want aesthetic medical services, rather they look for the exact type of service they are interested in.

The data shows a stark difference in monthly search volume between keywords like ‘IPL’ and ‘Botox’ as compared with ‘medspa’ and ‘mediSpa’.

The figures speak for themselves. Nonetheless, people searched for the keyword ‘medspa’ about 17% more often than ‘mediSpa’.

A Brief History of the ‘MediSpa Lawsuits’

In the late 90s, there was a renowned cosmetic doctor who trademarked the word ‘mediSpa’. For many years, this doctor would go after anyone who used the term to describe their practice. Although this physician is no longer pursuing legal recourse to stop individuals from using ‘mediSpa’, we believe these legal threats played a major role in the evolution of the term ‘medspa’ to replace ‘mediSpa’.

We All Win with Consistency

The more consistent we are as an Industry; the stronger our industry’s brand equity will become. With variation comes confusion in the way that consumers/patients think about our industry. Having a single descriptor will be better for everyone involved as this industry grows and more people search for aesthetic treatments and services.

Acara’s Flash Poll

80% of respondents to our flash social polls preferred ‘medspa’ over ‘mediSpa’. Although a small sample size, this is very telling to where our industry leans in preference to the descriptor.

Your Thoughts?

We want to hear everyone’s opinion. Which descriptor do you use and why? Tell us in the comments or call us to discuss your rationale: 203-488-0028.

For more information about how Acara Partners can support your practice’s brand consistency as well as revenue generation and profits, contact us today.

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