Discover how to ensure brand standard among franchisees

The standardization process in franchises is perhaps one of the most important points when managing this business model.

The challenge of maintaining the brand’s standard among franchisees is a constant action to maintain the network’s credibility.

After all, if you think like the customer, when they walk in the door, they expect to receive the same service and find the same product and service everywhere.

This is one of the main roles of the franchisor’s marketing: to monitor and ensure that this brand consistency is not lost on a day-to-day basis .

Continue reading this content and check out ways to maintain it across the network.

The role of franchisor marketing with franchisees

The franchisor’s marketing team’s main function is to create materials that generate more opportunities for franchisees .

However, in certain cases, the team is so overwhelmed and the units believe they have already mastered the process, that they decide to create everything on their own.

Despite good intentions, anyone who has experience with this model knows that in practice this is the most common case of loss of brand consistency.

Therefore, the franchisor brand needs to structure the process and understand its other functions in this model , such as:

• Own the strategic process;
• Guide the network towards the franchisor’s objective;
• Provide support to franchisees
• Ensure standardization at all points of contact;
• Maintain an aligned flow of communication.

6 Ways to Maintain Brand Standard Across Your Network

Your franchisees need to understand that the process is defined and guided by the franchisor. After all, your team is the one who is in charge of the strategies, has the macro vision of the market and understands which paths your brand needs to take to leverage healthy growth across the entire network .

And for your company to be present in the minds of consumers, brand consistency is a determining pillar that deserves the attention of any company.

Managing and monitoring how the brand is applied at a POS can be a simple task. However, the challenge arises when the network grows and expands with other franchisees.

So, check out how to maintain brand standards, even as you expand your network:

Create manuals

Before letting your franchisees go into practice, you need to educate them. Clear and objective manuals on what can and cannot be done are important to make them aware of the rules for applying materials.

In these manuals, they need to understand each process. Focus on showing the importance of good marketing and how it adds value to customers and generates great opportunities for all units.

A good example is the visual identity manual . With it in hand, franchisees have all the information they need to promote brand materials within the required standard.

Provide ongoing training

A franchisee is not always a marketing expert , and that’s okay. Your role as a franchisor is to provide ongoing support and training to the network’s employees .

Some franchise owners may even think this is a waste of time and unnecessary cost. However, investing in training contributes to the correct execution of day-to-day operations and can positively impact the customer’s perception of your brand’s value.

It’s worth remembering that with the internet and the possibility of storing videos, your team can record a training session. This way, you can have a space dedicated to training new employees and franchisees.

Create and present your action calendar

Franchisees often create branded materials on their own. Many of them may not be standard, which is a big problem .

Therefore, we recommend that you create an action plan and, most importantly, present all the dates and actions already planned to each person in advance, when the franchisor will produce standard materials and provide guidelines for implementation throughout the network.

This process helps to reduce franchisees’ anxiety and show that your team already has some actions in mind to generate good opportunities.

Offer practical templates

Your design team won’t always have time to execute all the requests from dozens of franchises. So, to avoid wasting your time on repetitive tasks, create standardized templates and give the networks the autonomy to customize them.

This way, you’ll have more time to focus on strategic tasks and your franchisee will gain agility to leverage opportunities.

Create a checklist at the POS

Brand standard is not just about the pieces that marketing creates. Everything in the franchisee’s unit is an opportunity to standardize and generate a positive experience for your customer.

So, create a checklist, which should be used in the POS routine, and given to franchisees. Learn about other factors that also deserve the attention of marketing for standardization:

• Showcases;
• Service;
• Presentation of products and services;
• Cleaning and lighting;

Have regular suppliers

Some franchise models require suppliers who have been tested and approved by the franchisor. This standardization helps maintain the quality of what is offered.

Companies that work with random suppliers may offer different and unfavorable experiences to customers. After all, customers come to your unit to consume your unique products. Preserve this.