Tag Archives: branding

Franchise Vendors—Choose Wisely

Yesterday I had to the chance to give a presentation to one of our clients at their monthly franchisee meeting. My colleague, Tiffany, and I discussed the value that public relations and social media can bring to a franchise concept and stressed the importance of involving the entire brand in the process as a way to increase our effectiveness. The presentation was very interactive, giving us a chance to involve every member of their team into our process.



Not only did this give us a chance to explain the value of PR at both the local and national level for a growing franchise concept, but it also gave us a chance to learn more about our client’s brand from the inside. Getting to hear the strategy and industry concerns for this specific client was a great way for us to organize and strategize our PR efforts—as it is important for every department in a company to be on the same page and coordinate their efforts accordingly.



We had the opportunity to sit and speak with individual franchisees and hear their personal stories about their experiences as business owners. One franchisee, Lorraine, thanked us for working with her to gain media coverage in her local market. These stories are what give us our passion in securing media coverage for an account. By learning these stories, we fully understand the struggles and obstacles of each franchisee, and making their efforts and gains even more newsworthy.



As a vendor, it is essential to build a relationship with the brand you are working with. Success increases as you acquire more knowledge and passion for each brand—which in turn reflects your effort to the people you are trying to engage with the concept, whether it be the media, potential franchisees, or new customers.



As a franchisor, select a company that is invested in your brand and wants to be a part of your workshops and meetings, because these are ways to build your relationship and strengthen the brands messaging across the entire system. Choosing the right partners has a huge effect on your brand’s growth, so chose wisely and selectively—the stronger the relationship, the more success you will achieve.

–Posted by Carrie Magelowitz @carriemag

Brand Identity Plans Should Prompt Reporter Mindset

Take a good look at your brand. Are you impressed with your logo? Your menu? Your image? Your personality? Most start-up chains would say not 100 percent. But no need to fret. Sure, rebranding campaigns are expensive, time consuming, exhausting, but most definitely necessary in building your brand far over the 100-unit mark. If you don’t have the funds to brand a great concept – find it. No excuses.

And now is the most important to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing, PR, branding initiatives should be ramped up during a struggling economy. Sometimes that means breaking the bank slightly, but when our recession flips to happy spending, consumers will appreciate the brands that didn’t have huge price increases, still offered the consumer magic in the product, and never sacrificed the importance of consumer connections.

With that said, when you are evaluating your brand – conducting a brand audit – you should think like a reporter to maximize your changes and evolutions to the public. You should think like the media. While the media won’t be the sole reason for the make or break of your brand, it sure is nice if they appreciate and report on your brand’s evolution.

How can you think like a reporter, you say? What publications do you read? Do you read the newspaper with your morning Joe? Do you read business magazines on your frequent flights? You should. But if you don’t, not a problem – because your PR firm should be doing this for you. They should be embracing every bit of the media – gaining clear understanding so that they can provide you with expert insight to your revamping.

Are you launching a new menu? Is that newsworthy? Sure, if you are expanding it into innovation.

Are you creating a new branding campaign that includes a local TV ad spot that features a new mascot for your brand? Is that newsworthy? Sure, if you have a green hook, a community hook, any hook.

The idea is to think in headlines. If they media could find interest in your concept, so will the public. Don’t underestimate what is and what isn’t a story. Ask your PR firm to evaluate (no fluff) you branding ideas as you go through the process. They, along with the media, can be very helpful to identifying the sexiness.