What Is Franchise Marketing?

Franchising is a growth strategy used by big brands to reach local markets. Franchises utilize marketing campaigns to attract new customers while strengthening the brand’s overall reputation. Since this type of marketing involves both the franchisor and franchisee (local owner), it is different from other types of marketing.

What is Franchise Marketing?

Franchise marketing is the promotion of a master brand to help drive awareness and revenue of individual franchisee. This includes all the activities that the franchisor and franchisees use to build brand awareness and attract customers. It may include a detailed marketing plan with brand awareness campaigns and targeting messages that unify the identity of the larger franchise brand.

The franchisor and franchisee must work together to improve the overall perception and loyalty of the brand. Since the owners of the businesses (franchisor) are interested in growing the overall brand, franchisees engage in marketing the brand to gain a larger market share in their region. In doing so, the reputation of the overall brand can be enhanced.

Different Approaches to Franchise Marketing

When marketing a franchise, several approaches have proven to be more effective. This includes a focus on the franchise product or development:

• Operational Franchise Marketing: This approach focuses on the local businesses rather than the larger franchise. The franchisor and franchisee work together to ensure that the individual franchise feels like a key piece of the larger business.
• Franchise Development Marketing: The focus in this approach is on the larger business rather than individual franchise owners. The franchisor may be interested in attracting more potential franchise owners as a way of establishing their business in a local region.

Most franchises usually benefit from the marketing strategies of their franchisor. However, it is also important for franchise owners to develop personalized plans that promote the business locally. Developing such as campaign can help companies operating within this business model to excel in their area of operations.

Why Franchise Marketing is Important

Franchise marketing helps strenghten the overall brand while building awareness and sales using strategies such as social media marketing, content gap analysis, search engine optimization, or email marketing. When the two stakeholders work together, they create a cohesive business image and boost the overall performance.

It may seem overwhelming, especially to new franchise owners. However, the collective benefits drive the franchise toward success in the local market.

1. Brand Reputation: Brand recognition helps in attracting customers in regions where the franchisor may not have a historical presence. Customers start recognizing the brand through its name, logo, and offerings, boosting customer loyalty.
2. Gain Market Share: The main challenge of setting up a franchise in a new location is the lack of awareness. Although customers may be aware of the brand, they may not know of its presence in the local area. It helps get the word out, allowing the franchisee to gain a larger market share.
3. Grow Customer Relationships: Local marketing efforts of a franchise help in reaching out to more customers and educating them about your brand. With digital media such as social media platforms, it is possible to create a two-way communication that allows customers to feel like they are being heard.

The process of creating the marketing plan starts with understanding the audience you are trying to reach. Then the franchise owner works with the franchisor to expand the campaign in a way that feels meaningful and relevant to local business patrons. The main difference from the overall franchisor marketing plan is that the marketing campaign in this case is more localized and targeting a specific audience. However, the business model should remain consistent as established by the franchisor.

Launch Your Franchise Marketing Campaign

If you are operating a franchise, you understand the need to attract more customers and generate a high return on your marketing investments. At Nvent Marketing, we focus on building marketing strategies that drive sales.  Our team of professionals provides all the necessary services ranging from paid media to direct marketing strategies. Contact us today, and allow us to launch your marketing campaign and drive sales.