The success of Battery World’s ‘Think Green, Act Purple’ battery disposal initiative has highlighted the importance of franchisee involvement in a franchise’s broader engagement strategy.

In 2006 Greg Leslie, owner of Battery World Townsville, introduced branded recycling bins into his store, offering a free-of-charge battery disposal service to local households. He also placed bins in 29 nearby schools, providing free education sessions to students and offering incentives to encourage their involvement. As a result of the campaign, Battery World Townsville experienced a 30 per cent jump in sales. The success of the program within Townsville saw Battery World implement the program nationwide, and today the franchise has successfully prevented some 500 tonnes of batteries and over 16,000 EPIRBs (analogue maritime emergency beacons) from going into landfill.

“Customers can come in, drop off their old batteries and we’ll take care of their responsible disposal. They’re under no obligation to purchase anything. It’s a way of showing that we genuinely do care about the environment and the community,” says Leslie.

Franchisee initiative

General manager of Battery World, John Pascoe, says”Think Green, Act Purple is an excellent example of a franchisee initiative that has provided far-reaching benefits to both the Battery World network and the general community.

“We work hard to ensure our franchisees are given the necessary tools to run a Battery World enterprise. But franchising is a two-way street. Our franchisees are also independently developing new strategies to help themselves become more successful within their own community. Over the years, we’ve seen some really great ideas come out of stores — and the very best have ended up being adapted by our Support Office and rolled-out nationwide” said Pascoe.

Engaging with franchisees

Leslie attributes the ongoing success of the brand to its willingness to listen and engage with its franchisees. “I’d rate good communication between franchisor and franchisee at about 12 out of 10. If the two arenÕt working closely, the franchise as a whole is going nowhere,” he says.

Pascoe says that ‘Think Green, Act Purple’ is just one example of a franchisee initiative that’s proven to be a huge success, and that there will be many more to come. “We’re honoured to be working with Greg and the rest of our franchisees to develop some exciting new strategies that we hope to introduce in the coming year,” says Pascoe.