How To Achieve And Maintain Brand Consistency Across A Franchise Network

[ad_1]

Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business

So said Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media

And as most switched-on business owners know, branding extends far beyond a fancy logo or a catchy tagline.

Yes, branding includes all of the graphic and visual elements that represent your business and make you recognizable – the snazzy logo, the colors and the imagery, the snappy tagline. But branding extends far beyond this. It’s the customer experiences and company culture that intertwines everything that your business does. It’s that feeling that people get when they think about your business and product or service, the perception that they have and the reaction that they have to you. Ultimately your brand isn’t you – it’s who your customers think you are.

For anyone looking to enter the market as a franchisor, time and money invested in branding will never be wasted. It’s naturally essential to get the key visual elements nailed at the outset – a name and logo that sums up your product or service, ones that can be fully protected through intellectual property rights and that will be transferable and easily translated into different geographical territories and even different countries or continents. Extending from that will be taglines and brand messages, fonts and brand guidelines, so that everything that emanates from your brand in a visual or written format communicates your brand’s personality and clear voice and ultimately your “why” – the reason why your company exists to do what it does. It’s also important to carefully examine processes and procedures – all of the touchpoints that a customer or potential customer will come across in their experience with your business and how your brand will come across and be communicated to them at each and every one.

Why is investment in branding all the more crucial for someone looking to enter the world of franchising than an independent? Simple. Branding is of course important for any business. But when a franchisor begins to open new physical locations and expand through a network of franchisees there must be consistency upheld across every franchise branch, in order to maintain quality and to meet the needs and expectations of customers. It’s that consistency that is the lifeblood of your franchise network – franchisees will join you and customers will come to you because of the surety factor of being part of an established and recognized brand. There needs to be clear rules, clear guidelines, style guides and set processes and procedures to ensure that franchisees know what they need to do, what is expected of them and what they can and can’t do in order to ensure that the franchisor’s brand is protected and that their customers are gaining the full brand experience that they will expect when choosing to spend their money with the franchise brand.

So how can a franchisor help their franchise network to respect the core brand and to remain brand consistent?

Clear brand guidelines

A franchisee cannot be expected to remain on brand if they don’t know what it actually is. A franchisor should have a clear set of guidelines covering everything which relates to the brand and it’s protection, from the brand values and the company "why", to the use of logos, colors, fonts and all visual elements, to style guides and the tone of voice to be used by franchisees in all communication. This should include clear examples not just of good practice and what is considered to be "on brand", but also examples of what should NOT be done.

Training

It’s essential that all franchisees understand exactly why brand protection is so important, as well as understanding the brand guidelines they are expected to follow. Franchisee training should cover the reasons why it’s essential that franchisees remain on brand, the consequences of failing to do so, but most importantly the benefits to them and their businesses (and therefore their bottom line), their customers and to all of the team of everyone remaining brand consistent. Having franchisees fully engaged and on board is the secret to franchise branding success.

Supply franchisees with templates and content

In most franchise brands, franchisees are encouraged to get out into their local community and market their businesses on a local level – putting their name, their face and their personality at the forefront of their businesses. This is where it can become tempting for franchisees to stray away from the brand guidelines, or difficult for them to remain within them. Franchisors can make life easy for their franchise team and ensure that franchisees remain on brand by providing banks of templates that franchisees can use and then simply add their own details onto. We do this within my own brand with all core marketing materials for use both across social media and in “real life” and they are well used and as well as well received. This saves our franchisees valuable time and money and means they can get on with the day to day tasks of running and growing their franchise businesses.

Monitoring

The key to maintaining a successful franchise brand is for the franchisor to constantly and consistently monitor franchisee compliance, to take steps to address incidents where a franchisee might stray away from what is expected or on brand, to provide additional training and support where needed, and to look to recognize and reward excellent examples of franchisee brand compliance. This is an ongoing but essential part of franchise brand protection, and of course a franchisor has a responsibility to the entire franchisee network to ensure that it is done.

Ultimately the key to ongoing franchise branding success, as with all aspects of franchising, is open lines of communication between franchisor and franchisee and attention to detail from the start. When franchisees are running their own businesses independently in different geographical locations and often scattered across the globe this can be a big challenge at times. But when your brand is your biggest asset, it’s a necessary one.

“>

Your model is the only most necessary funding you may make in what you are promoting

So mentioned Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media

And as most switched-on enterprise house owners know, branding extends far past a flowery emblem or a catchy tagline.

Sure, branding consists of all the graphic and visible parts that signify what you are promoting and make you recognizable – the snazzy emblem, the colours and the imagery, the snappy tagline. However branding extends far past this. It’s the client experiences and firm tradition that intertwines the whole lot that what you are promoting does. It’s that feeling that individuals get when they give thought to what you are promoting and services or products, the notion that they’ve and the response that they should you. In the end your model isn’t you – it’s who your prospects suppose you might be.

For anybody seeking to enter the market as a franchisor, money and time invested in branding won’t ever be wasted. It’s naturally important to get the important thing visible parts nailed on the outset – a reputation and emblem that sums up your services or products, ones that may be absolutely protected by means of mental property rights and that can be transferable and simply translated into totally different geographical territories and even totally different international locations or continents. Extending from that can be taglines and model messages, fonts and model pointers, in order that the whole lot that emanates out of your model in a visible or written format communicates your model’s character and clear voice and in the end your “why” – the explanation why your organization exists to do what it does. It’s additionally necessary to rigorously look at processes and procedures – all the touchpoints buyer or potential buyer will come throughout of their expertise with what you are promoting and the way your model will come throughout and be communicated to them at every one.

Why is funding in branding all of the extra essential for somebody seeking to enter the world of franchising than an impartial? Easy. Branding is in fact necessary for any enterprise. However when a franchisor begins to open new bodily areas and develop by means of a community of franchisees there should be consistency upheld throughout each franchise department, so as to preserve high quality and to satisfy the wants and expectations of consumers. It’s that consistency that’s the lifeblood of your franchise community – franchisees will be a part of you and prospects will come to you due to the surety issue of being a part of a longtime and acknowledged model. There must be clear guidelines, clear pointers, type guides and set processes and procedures to make sure that franchisees know what they should do, what is anticipated of them and what they will and might’t do so as to be certain that the franchisor’s model is protected and that their prospects are gaining the complete model expertise that they are going to count on when selecting to spend their cash with the franchise model.

So how can a franchisor assist their franchise community to respect the core model and to stay model constant?

Clear model pointers

A franchisee can’t be anticipated to stay on model in the event that they don’t know what it truly is. A franchisor ought to have a transparent set of pointers overlaying the whole lot which pertains to the model and it’s safety, from the model values and the corporate “why”, to the usage of logos, colours, fonts and all visible parts, to type guides and the tone of voice for use by franchisees in all communication. This could embody clear examples not simply of fine apply and what’s thought-about to be “on model”, but additionally examples of what ought to NOT be completed.

Coaching

It’s important that every one franchisees perceive precisely why model safety is so necessary, in addition to understanding the model pointers they’re anticipated to comply with. Franchisee coaching ought to cowl the explanation why it’s important that franchisees stay on model, the results of failing to take action, however most significantly the advantages to them and their companies (and due to this fact their backside line), their prospects and to all the workforce of everybody remaining model constant. Having franchisees absolutely engaged and on board is the key to franchise branding success.

Provide franchisees with templates and content material

In most franchise manufacturers, franchisees are inspired to get out into their local people and market their companies on a neighborhood degree – placing their title, their face and their character on the forefront of their companies. That is the place it might probably turn out to be tempting for franchisees to stray away from the model pointers, or tough for them to stay inside them. Franchisors could make life straightforward for his or her franchise workforce and be certain that franchisees stay on model by offering banks of templates that franchisees can use after which merely add their very own particulars onto. We do that inside my very own model with all core advertising and marketing supplies to be used each throughout social media and in “actual life” and they’re properly used and in addition to properly acquired. This protects our franchisees worthwhile money and time and means they will get on with the daily duties of working and rising their franchise companies.

Monitoring

The important thing to sustaining a profitable franchise model is for the franchisor to continuously and constantly monitor franchisee compliance, to take steps to deal with incidents the place a franchisee would possibly stray away from what is anticipated or on model, to supply further coaching and assist the place wanted, and to look to acknowledge and reward wonderful examples of franchisee model compliance. That is an ongoing however important a part of franchise model safety, and naturally a franchisor has a accountability to your complete franchisee community to make sure that it’s completed.

In the end the important thing to ongoing franchise branding success, as with all elements of franchising, is open traces of communication between franchisor and franchisee and a focus to element from the beginning. When franchisees are working their very own companies independently in several geographical areas and infrequently scattered throughout the globe this is usually a huge problem at instances. However when your model is your greatest asset, it’s a essential one.