Consistency:The Key to Branding Multiple Unit Franchises

One of the most exciting milestones of a business owner is when they experience

positive growth in their business. Was it timing? Great product? Or maybe luck? The

truth is that when you inquire into the activities of a growing business, the one thing that

truly sets the company apart is the marketing campaign. Good systems, strong

management, and positive work culture can strengthen a company, but Repetitive Quality

Marketing (RQM) is the foundational tool that will bring about the most significant

growth opportunities.

In RQM, consistency is the key. When a franchisee purchases a franchise, he or

she is also buying the brand. Maintaining and strengthening brand identity, though

sometimes difficult, is vital to franchise success. If the brand message is not consistent

between units, the message can become confusing and unclear. Continuity between

units, however, allows the message to be easily understood by the target audience.

Multi-unit franchises may face a variety of difficulties along the way towards

building brand consistency. Balancing brand uniformity while respecting franchisee

independence and regulating brand messages while effectively targeting local

communities are two of the struggles that often arise. Even when these conflicts occur,

RQM has proven to be the path of least resistance and greatest success. The real

challenge in RQM is determining whether or not the systems that are in place are the

most effective for your product or service.

As a company begins to add additional units to their portfolio, there are several

basic questions they should try to answer. Will this product/service withstand the test of

time in both a rigid and flexible economy? Will the price that was set for this

product/service fit the expansion plan? And will the current marketing vehicles reach

and attract the target markets?

After these questions are honestly answered and appropriate changes to the

system have been made, then it is time to begin focusing on bringing consistency to the

marketing campaign. As the name clearly states, RQM is indeed repetitive quality

marketing. The term “repetitive” has a tendency to be misinterpreted. Some people hear

that word and they think boring and complacent marketing. But no one wants their

audience to become immune to their message. In RQM, repetitive is remaining persistent

and consistent with the marketing message whether it’s two units or two hundred units.

The strategies for reaching the different markets may vary, but the goal is to create and

maintain an effective marketing campaign that works for them all.

Quality is of course imperative for a successful campaign. One should always

remember that high cost and high quality do not necessarily go hand in hand. When

creating a marketing campaign it is important to keep three things in mind: the brand

image, the product/service, and the target audience. There have been many successful

campaigns that did not require huge chunks of the marketing budget. Quality simply

means effective marketing that is easily understood and attracts the right people.

Sometimes this may require spending a lot of money, but sometimes it does not.

Whatever is most appropriate to support the brand image, portray the product/service, and

reach the target audience, is what a company ought to do. An expensive campaign does

not guarantee a successful campaign.

In RQM, the overall objective is to remain consistent. Consistency in the

marketing campaign will not only strengthen the brand identity, but it often leads to

positive business growth. There are key areas in marketing where consistency should be

expected and enforced by the franchisor. The areas include customer service, operations,

logo usage, advertising campaigns, and quality control systems. While some of these

areas may not at first appear to be marketing, one should remember that marketing

touches everything a business does. From the design on the bathroom tiles to the rips in

the salesperson’s jeans, anything a customer sees, touches, hears, or smells can affect the

brand image.

Customer service is more important than ever these days. With the world

becoming smaller and competition becoming stronger, exceptional customer service can

be the competitive advantage that sets a business apart. Providing the same excellent

service from location to location is one of the critical roles a franchisor must face and

monitor. The best way to promote this behavior comes in three easy steps: consistent

training, grading the result and rewarding every effort.

Operations, though it closely ties into customer service, should be viewed as a

separate area of focus. This includes daily operations of equipment, hiring procedures

and maintaining clean and safe environments. Franchisees should always have a clear

understanding of what is to be expected of them for all operational processes. As a

franchisor, rule books and manuals should be reviewed, updated and disbursed on a

regular basis. Field visits are also a great way to ensure franchisee accountability. The

frequency of the field visits will of course depend on the number of units and the distance

between them.

Logo usage is another huge aspect of marketing consistency. A logo is a

representation of brand identity. It means so much more than just a name or symbol.

That’s why it’s so important to remain consistent in all usage of it. The logo consists of

the font style and color scheme. This graphic standard is what has been trademarked by

the franchisor and should be the only logo ever used. It is sometimes tempting for the

franchisee to use the logo on unapproved marketing material, but this practice should not

be allowed. Any change in color, font or even inappropriate usage of the logo may

weaken the brand image and cause brand confusion.

Advertising campaigns should try to keep all units in mind during the creative

development process. The message should remain the same, but the means in which the

message is delivered may change from unit to unit. Creating an annual plan is an

effective way to implement the campaign while sticking to the annual budget. The plan

can be broken down quarterly, monthly, or even weekly if necessary. A great plan

provides franchisees with the direction of the company, the run dates of the ads, the

reason for the ads, copies of the ads, and how to track the ad’s effectiveness.

Quality control systems for a company’s products and/or services are perhaps the

most important area of consistency. The saying, “Nothing will kill a product quicker than

great marketing,” is absolutely true. All marketing campaigns need the product or

service to back them up. A cute advertisement or catchy jingle may bring in the

customers, but if they get a subpar product or service they will most likely never come

back.

So how does a multi-unit franchise build their brand image and create business

success? The answer is simple…consistency, consistency, consistency. Repetitive

Quality Marketing gives multiple unit franchises a strong foundation for both the

franchisor and franchisee to build off of. Though there are sometimes difficulties starting

and implementing RQM at the beginning, the ease and simplicity of it in the long run, not

to mention the effectiveness, is a tradeoff many business owners gladly welcome.

Too often people think that opening multiple locations will double both the costs

and the headaches. Of course costs and headaches may increase, but they could do that

as a single unit as well. The truth is that the economy of scale that is gained may actually

help fuel the positive growth that a single unit business can only dream of.

So back to the mystery of achieving positive growth. Does timing have a role?

Yes. Does great product affect a company’s success? Of course. But as a franchise

owner, one should not deny the impact a consistent marketing campaign can have on a

business. The brand image stays strong and the message stays clear…keeping both

franchisees and customers happy!