The Power of A Strong Franchise Brand

Biz Journals:

Franchising, maintaining a consistent and unified brand is difficult. Franchise companies naturally have more challenges than corporations because the local marketing and media is usually executed by the franchisees. And if franchisees aren’t marketing experts, which they are not expected to be, this poses a challenge unless the franchisor believes in the “power of strong brand consistency�.

I’m sure you’ve seen unprofessional, maybe even handwritten, signage at large franchise chains in your neighborhood. This is an indication that the franchisor may not be providing their system with branding tools they need on a local level. You can tell the difference between a franchisor that provides their system with the advertising elements they need versus franchisors that don’t see the value in maintaining consistency on a national level.

“We’ve learned over the years that we can never provide our franchise system with enough professional local advertising tools,� says Chad Hallock, CEO of Budget Blinds. “This is the only way to assure our system is staying true to our national brand image – and our strong brand image is one reason we’re selling so many franchises.�

Strong franchisors provide their systems with guidance on marketing and promotional plans, they provide advertising elements in an electronic format that allows for local customization and they create a professional brand image that the franchisees can be proud of!

Why is it important that the franchisor believes in “the power of a strong brand?â€? Because as a franchisee, this is what you are buying – the rights to use the brand name.

Franchisors that do not support this theory are at risk of diluting their brand name. And the larger the franchise system, the faster the brand is diluted, because there is more inconsistency that may exist nationwide.

What are the key attributes of a strong brand?

“A franchise system should ultimately strive for top-of-mind awareness. When our brand name becomes synonymous with ‘custom window coverings’, that is when I know we’ve done our job,� states Chad Hallock of Budget Blinds.

Read More: