Re-Energizing a Brand with Mass Consumer Appeal: How Franchisees Can Evolve with Consumers and Remain Relevant

Often times we become comfortable as operators in familiar practices and systems with which we choose to run our businesses. We set ourselves into a routine in terms of the staff, marketing and even services that our businesses offer. As a franchisee, it is important to push past the norm to look for new, innovative ways that a brand can change in order to remain effective and engaging in consumers’ lives.

Being open to transformation as a business is key in staying current with evolving trends and transitioning alongside consumers. Franchisees have the opportunity to appeal to an even greater audience while being strategic in their actions to re-energize their businesses and physical locations.

Begin with Culture

Every business begins with culture regardless, of industry. Building a strong business as part of your franchise locations foundationally starts with finding the best people to have in the store, at the location or involved in your business on the ground level. Hiring individuals at a basic level that have a deep-rooted understanding of hospitality and attention to detail is extremely important for most service- and product-based franchises. You want people that are ready to go above and beyond to get feet in the door, as well as retain frequency and maintain a solid customer experience.

Culture doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process that takes time and energy from the individuals on staff in the location daily and from the franchisee, who plays a constant role in externally driving people. Creating culture with local businesses and forming partnerships is an excellent way to keep foot traffic heavy as a franchise.

Prepare for Challenges

For even experienced multi-unit operators, bringing past knowledge of dealing with challenges is an important skill when gearing up for energizing a brand. Before a franchisee attempts to refresh or re-energize their franchise footprint, they should ensure the infrastructure is in place with well-tested, effective processes and systems to stay on track and ahead of the game. Organization in billing and maintaining the books provides a sense of security to operators, giving them a safety net when challenges strike.

Have the Right Leaders

In an effort to re-energize, a franchisee must have the right leaders in place. Having someone that is good at tasks and management is important, but they must be good with people. Leaders have the responsibility to reinforce the culture and strength of character to set the tone of the business, as well as those around them. Franchisees should be hiring like-minded people who are ready to have the same amount of passion and dedication to the business as themselves. Even in a growth phase where extra help and hands are needed, operators must be patient in finding the right people – quality over quantity. The right leaders in a business have the power to cater to guests that come in the door, while sharing a similar mindset with others. With a team of the right individuals, an operator has the chance to provide consumers with an incredibly special experience.

Focus on Hospitality

Hospitality is often the common missing link in concepts that look to change without strategy in place, and it’s the most important concept to master before undertaking any significant transformation. Franchisees must create a system or write guidelines on how they hope to push hospitality through their concept. Putting effort into appealing to consumers and treating it as a top priority has huge return when consumers are provided with a positive experience that keeps them coming back. Businesses with a standard for hospitality have the opportunity to build on a strong foundation to grow and refresh a franchise, well as have a positive impact on the consumer experience.