Last week I had the opportunity to provide some navigational assistance to an affiliate of a franchise company utilizing our ad builder software. The business owner was looking to order some customized loyalty cards. At the time of our conversation, he was slightly agitated with his parent company and expressed frustration over the fact that he had to take time out of his day to order the loyalty cards himself. His opinion was that all the 'marketing stuff' should be done by the national marketing team for him.
His comments caught me off guard and I found myself thinking about his words long after our call ended.
First, I was shocked to hear that he was annoyed with the opportunity he had been given to customize and purchase marketing materials for his own business. Who better to make decisions like that than the individual monitoring his own revenues and expenses? With that freedom, business owners like him can ensure their inventories are in line with their business' operational needs and cash flow.
Second, the process to order his cards on our local marketing software was quick and easy. It took less than five minutes for him to customize, preview, and order the cards. With the customization flexibility provided through our print ad builder, he was able to make critical decisions for his advertising material like what coupon offers to use based on what works best in his market.
From this business owner's reluctance to take control of his own marketing activities, I realized there are two very distinct cultures that franchise companies can create within their brands based on their approach to local marketing execution.
If a franchise company makes all the marketing decisions on behalf of their affiliates for promotions, materials, methodologies and executions, they are merely enabling their franchisees to become so dependent on their brand that they lose the perspective and initiative to take ownership of their own marketing strategies. I've caught wind of this scenario on a few phone calls when a business owner says something like, 'I never know what our promotions are going to be month to month' or, 'I don't have a marketing budget to use at my discretion. It all goes to the national fund'.
How tragic that these parent companies would thwart the efforts of their affiliates to become savvy marketers through experimentation in their own markets and hands-on education. Taking too much control over the marketing directions of local affiliates results in lost opportunities through the dollars that could have been invested in a leaner fashion, targeted to the individual preferences and habits of local populations. It can also be very frustrating for the individual store owners who see their advertising budgets whisked away each month to support national advertising funds.
In contrast, when franchise companies empower their affiliates to exercise their own marketing skills and knowledge locally, they promote an environment of self-sufficiency, and competency and they create a healthier parent-affiliate relationship. Sure, this may require some planning and training investment up front, but in the end, a skilled and knowledgeable local marketing workforce will create a much more successful campaign across an entire trade area. Allowing local affiliates to invest their advertising budgets as they see most fit puts the power back in their hands.
From my experience speaking with local affiliates from a wide range of franchise companies and national brands, it's the affiliates who have been given the tools and resources to hone their marketing skills that are most satisfied with their brand's marketing efforts. I would encourage any brand looking for a leaner national strategy to consider a self-service tool like Balihoo's local marketing software (read about it here!) and complement it with comprehensive training and professional services (Balihoo has that covered too!).
His comments caught me off guard and I found myself thinking about his words long after our call ended.
First, I was shocked to hear that he was annoyed with the opportunity he had been given to customize and purchase marketing materials for his own business. Who better to make decisions like that than the individual monitoring his own revenues and expenses? With that freedom, business owners like him can ensure their inventories are in line with their business' operational needs and cash flow.
Second, the process to order his cards on our local marketing software was quick and easy. It took less than five minutes for him to customize, preview, and order the cards. With the customization flexibility provided through our print ad builder, he was able to make critical decisions for his advertising material like what coupon offers to use based on what works best in his market.
From this business owner's reluctance to take control of his own marketing activities, I realized there are two very distinct cultures that franchise companies can create within their brands based on their approach to local marketing execution.
If a franchise company makes all the marketing decisions on behalf of their affiliates for promotions, materials, methodologies and executions, they are merely enabling their franchisees to become so dependent on their brand that they lose the perspective and initiative to take ownership of their own marketing strategies. I've caught wind of this scenario on a few phone calls when a business owner says something like, 'I never know what our promotions are going to be month to month' or, 'I don't have a marketing budget to use at my discretion. It all goes to the national fund'. How tragic that these parent companies would thwart the efforts of their affiliates to become savvy marketers through experimentation in their own markets and hands-on education. Taking too much control over the marketing directions of local affiliates results in lost opportunities through the dollars that could have been invested in a leaner fashion, targeted to the individual preferences and habits of local populations. It can also be very frustrating for the individual store owners who see their advertising budgets whisked away each month to support national advertising funds.
In contrast, when franchise companies empower their affiliates to exercise their own marketing skills and knowledge locally, they promote an environment of self-sufficiency, and competency and they create a healthier parent-affiliate relationship. Sure, this may require some planning and training investment up front, but in the end, a skilled and knowledgeable local marketing workforce will create a much more successful campaign across an entire trade area. Allowing local affiliates to invest their advertising budgets as they see most fit puts the power back in their hands.
From my experience speaking with local affiliates from a wide range of franchise companies and national brands, it's the affiliates who have been given the tools and resources to hone their marketing skills that are most satisfied with their brand's marketing efforts. I would encourage any brand looking for a leaner national strategy to consider a self-service tool like Balihoo's local marketing software (read about it here!) and complement it with comprehensive training and professional services (Balihoo has that covered too!).
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