As a franchise owner or a franchisor, you want your business to be successful and grow with time. Marketing plays a significant role in achieving that goal, and a franchise marketing agency helps in marketing. However, marketing a franchise comes with its own set of challenges. Being part of a larger brand, you must ensure that your marketing efforts comply with the brand’s overall image and guidelines. Today, we’ll look at successful franchise marketing case studies and the lessons we can learn from them.
1. The UPS Store: Small Business Saturday
The UPS Store is a franchise chain that provides customers with printing, shipping, and business-related services. In 2015, the franchisor leveraged the already-popular Small Business Saturday initiative that encourages people to shop locally and support small businesses. The UPS Store devised a comprehensive marketing campaign, including social media, email marketing, and in-store promotions. The campaign generated over 21 million impressions on social media, resulting in over 2,300 participating stores and over 600,000 customer visits. The campaign was a success, not only for The UPS Store but also for the participating small businesses.
Lesson Learned: Collaborating with other businesses can expand your exposure and customer base. Use popular events and campaigns to your advantage to increase brand awareness.
2. Domino’s Pizza: Emoji Ordering
In 2015, pizza franchise Domino’s Pizza launched a unique marketing campaign that allowed customers to place orders with emojis. Customers had to create a pizza emoji and send it via Twitter or text it to a designated number. The campaign succeeded, generating over 500 million earned media impressions and increasing sales by over 7%.
Lesson Learned: Be innovative and experiment with unconventional marketing techniques to stand out.
3. 7-Eleven: BYOCup Day
7-Eleven is a popular convenience store franchise chain in multiple countries, including the United States. In 2015, 7-Eleven announced the “Bring Your Own Cup Day” campaign, which allowed customers to bring any container under a fixed size to fill with Slurpee for a fixed price. The campaign generated immense social media buzz and increased sales by over 30%.
Lesson Learned: Create unique promotions tailored to your target audience’s preferences and habits. Involve them in the campaign by creating engaging content for social media.
4. McDonald’s: All-Day Breakfast
In 2015, McDonald’s significantly changed its menu by introducing an all-day breakfast. A full-fledged marketing campaign, including TV, digital, and in-store promotions, supported the launch. The campaign was a resounding success, with over 12 million visits in the four weeks following the launch.
Lesson Learned: Listen to customer feedback and tailor your offerings to meet their evolving needs. Support significant changes with a comprehensive marketing campaign.
5. Subway: #SearchforBetter Campaign
In 2016, Subway launched the #SearchforBetter campaign to address recent public concerns regarding fast food quality. The campaign featured TV ads, billboards, and unique in-store experiences that showcased Subway’s commitment to using fresh ingredients. The campaign resulted in over 480 million impressions across social media, and Subway reported increased sales and positive customer feedback.
Lesson Learned: Addressing public concerns proactively can demonstrate your commitment to quality and strengthen brand loyalty.
Conclusion
Marketing a franchise can be challenging, but these case studies prove that successful campaigns are possible with innovation and creativity. Collaborating with other businesses, experimenting with unconventional techniques, creating unique promotions, listening to customer feedback, and addressing public concerns can significantly impact your franchise’s success. As a franchisor or franchise owner, use these lessons learned to create a digital marketing strategy that resonates with your customers and achieves your business goals.