We are living in an information age where information is available at the click of a button. What can’t we find on the internet? As consumers, we are bombarded with information everywhere we go. So how does a corporate office communicate important information to a wide network of stores, in a way that ensures the message gets through?

How does a franchisor cut through the ‘noise’ of a retail environment, where franchise partners’ focus is on getting customers through the door, delivering superior product and service, and managing staff and suppliers?

An effective corporate office understands the challenges small business owners face, and they deliver information in a way that works for them. They also understand what information the network needs and when they need it. A corporate office striving for best practise knows great initiatives will fall flat unless they are rolled out properly.

INVEST IN COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE

Whether a corporate office administers 50 or 500 sites, they would do well to consider a platform where they can communicate quickly and easily with the network. The key here is not to simply send an endless stream of emails to stakeholders, with the hope that will be read, digested and actioned, but rather to organize information in a logical way in a central location.

The challenges of data management and information delivery can be solved through a purpose-built intranet, or an off-the-shelf platform like World Manager; software developed specifically for a franchise environment. World Manager does a good job of combining operations-focused content, like rosters and training, with staff participation programs and competitions.

Best practise communication starts with choosing the right channel, which may be an online platform for administration and operations for the team, and email for one on one communication with the business owner.

COMMUNICATION PLAN

Having a communication plan helps put a focus on what you need to communicate to the network and how you go about it. Are you unveiling a new brand strategy? Then a roadshow or a conference to talk to as many stakeholders as possible might be a good idea.

Are you launching a menu change-out that requires higher than usual participation from franchise partners? You might consider a series of communications across different channels, staggered over several weeks, to increase franchise partner involvement and their exposure to critical information.

An effective marketing platform will include an automated function where franchise partners can see their menu allocation – a great way to ensure price points and sizes are correct before you roll out.

DON’T MAKE ME THINK

‘User experience’, or UX, are buzzwords in web design at the moment, however the basic principles apply to communication as well. Think of the end user, think about making things easy for them, and think about the different ways people like to receive information. Package information in a way that makes it easy to digest quickly, without too much thinking.

In the world of local marketing in a franchise setting, stakeholders need to know how to initiate their own local marketing activity. If you have a self-drive marketing platform, make sure it is easy to navigate and that franchise partners can see what local marketing templates and material are available to them.

However, the easiest platform in the world will intimidate a first-time user with limited computer experience, so you may want to conduct training seminars, create a How-To guide and ensure the field team are capable of training new franchise partners.

GET VISUAL

Blood, sweat and tears can go into the planning and rollout of a national campaign at corporate office level, so you want to ensure franchise partners are equipped with everything they need to execute a new campaign in store. A communication booklet outlining the product and point-of-sale logistics, will help answer any questions that come up and reduce non-compliance.

Are you using a new point-of-sale item or using a new material that needs to be handled in a special way? An instruction sheet with a few diagrams or a How-To video might be what your audience needs in order to get the installation right.

REMIND, REMIND, REMIND

Introducing reminders by email or SMS might be all you need to reach best practise communication. If you can’t remember to remind, what chance does the network have of remembering to do!

Paola Tanner is a director at Fuse Franchise Partners, a marketing implementation agency helping franchise chains for more than 10 years.