Sometimes it’s nice to have a recognisable name above the door. There is, perhaps, a little bit of safety to be able to run a business that has global recognition and notoriety. You get to run a business knowing that many customers in your area are already aware of the brand ethics, values, and services.
But are there one-size-fits-all templates for a business that breaks itself down into franchises? And how much control do you really have over the business that you are running? Marketing your franchise might sound like an easy task, but there are pitfalls.
Brand Consistency vs. Local Relevance
Your franchise might be a global brand based in The United States of America. It might be a national franchise based in Newcastle upon Tyne. It doesn’t matter where the head office is and where the brand’s marketing department is, it’s rare that the distant far off social media managers have any single clue what is going on in your local branch.
If you are putting out local posts or sending emails to local customers, you have the first issue of making sure that there is uniformity. You can’t just slip into a local slang that doesn’t translate well 50 miles south of the M25. However, you need to understand your local area and their requirements. You need to market to your local audience without clashing with the overall brand tone and branding.
Managing Multiple Stakeholders
Marketing, for an agency, is often about managing expectations. There are a lot of ideas coming in, all worthy of consideration, but ultimately marketing is about prioritising. Timeliness and consistency are key factors for your marketing team, regardless of the industry. For a franchisee, this could cause some issues.
If you need to spend time getting approvals from the mystical pantheon hidden away in head office, it means that you must have your marketing sorted much earlier. It also means you might compete with other franchisees for the attention of head office. To market your franchise perfectly, aim to be a couple of months ahead at a minimum.
Coordination and Communication Issues
Without good communication, everything can all come undone. If you are a franchisee, you need to be aware of national campaigns way ahead of time. If your head office tends to provide their information to you in the eleventh hour, then you could have problems staying consistent and matching the national campaign’s branding.
You need to get in the habit of chasing information. Make sure you have some backup social posts and generic emails ready, just in case there is an issue. It might also be worth getting to know other local franchisees and comparing what information you have.
Control Vs. Autonomy
You would hope that these lines of communication between the franchisor and franchisee remain open and clear. But that isn’t always the case. There is a conflicting set of objectives that must be recognised:
Franchisor: It is important that the franchisor remains in control of the branding. Whether you’re running an outlet in the Outer Hebrides or not, the franchisor needs to make sure there is continuity between your outlet and the one in Truro.
Franchisee: It is also important that there is a level of flexibility afforded the franchisee to make sure that they can best serve their local area. This doesn’t mean breaking the style guide to fit a new demographic, but it does mean that some campaigns and posts have to be catered to a local area.
This ongoing conversation needs to be constructive. Most brands celebrate their people, so it shouldn’t be a problem to create unique posts and emails that mention team members that the local public come across daily. If you intend to go off-piste and create your own social posts, make sure that you prepare them well in advance.
Don’t be Put Off
Analysing the pitfalls of marketing for a franchise shouldn’t be a deterrent. In fact, working with a head office that has a dedicated marketing team could take a lot of the stress that comes with running your own business. At the end of the day, a responsible company would listen to the plights and issues raised by their franchisees in order to improve their reputation nationally.
So don’t be put off. And don’t be afraid to contribute. You are still running a business that needs to make a profit and in you are the business’ leader in everything but brand name.
For more information about marketing for a franchise, please contact us on 01604 698 948, or email hello@tj-marketing.co.uk with your enquiry.
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