Grow Market Lead
CMO
roundtable:
“How does the
marketing department fit
into the ‘development culture’
of your brand?”
Megan M. Conway
Director of Marketing
Service Brands International
I believe marketing is
the heart of every successful franchise company. Marketing affects all customer and
franchise development
aspects of the company, including the sales process, building brand awareness, attracting and
converting leads, building and maintaining customer relationships, and
efforts to entice people who are no
longer engaged.
Within our organization, the marketing team is integral to the culture
and pace of the business. When done
right, our website, social media, online advertising, and public relations
activities create “new news” to ensure
we’re getting noticed externally and
by creating pride among our team and
franchise owners. Excitement from an
advertising, public relations, or social
media campaign extends our brand’s
reach and brings operations, information technology, training, and owner
support teams together to continually
fine-tune our systems.
Most people see an online listing
or a postcard and think it is marketing, when in fact it’s advertising. Others get pulled into a sales gimmick or
a fast-talking promoter and think that’s
marketing, when in fact it’s sales. In
reality, marketing is the entire process
(including the advertising), with the
end goal to drive sales or an exchange
of goods or services.
Our marketing team’s philosophy
leverages both tangible and intangible
tactics. The tangible is what we do
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Franchiseupdate Iss u e I, 2 0 1 3
through more traditional forms of advertising to target and win new customers, making sure the business can be
found when customers have a need, and
using come-back methods to improve
repeat business. Intangible marketing
is demonstrated by how we answer the
phone, the experience in the home while
we’re performing work, and personal
follow-up from the franchise owner
following the service. Intangible is the
energy equity we put into relationships
to improve our customer satisfaction.
Success is defined by satisfying our
existing franchisees with additional
business, which then spurs positive
validation and new franchise candidates’
belief in our business opportunity. In a
truly successful business, tangible and
intangible activities promote growth,
and can’t survive without the other.
Susan Boresow
Chief Marketing Officer
Massage Envy
Founded in 2002,
Massage Envy was
created to provide a
pathway to wellness,
well-being, and worth
through professional,
convenient, and affordable massage therapy and spa services. In doing so, Massage Envy created a completely new category in the
wellness industry. Guided by our vision
statement, “Better lives. Better families.
Better communities. A better world…
through our hands,” we are the national leader of therapeutic massage
and spa services with more than 850
clinics in 46 states.
Our company is unified by our vision and mission statements. We are
committed to helping our members
and guests achieve wellness, and our
marketing department ensures that this
is incorporated into everything we do.
This can be seen on our “Touch of Wellness” blog, our social media platforms,
ME magazine, and through our partnership with the Arthritis Foundation.
We launched our Touch of Wellness blog in March 2011 and update
it weekly with health and wellness tips
about maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
From inspirational stories to relaxation
advice, our posts provide valuable information for our readers’ personal health.
Through our social media sites,
including Facebook and our YouTube
series, we are committed to keeping our
loyal followers informed about health
and wellness. We actively update our
sites with the benefits of massage and
facial therapy, healthy eating recommendations, exercise regimens, motivational quotes, and more. We also host
contests throughout the year where we
offer complimentary massages, facials,
and gift cards to our winners.
In addition, we produce a quarterly
lifestyle publication, ME magazine.
The magazine is distributed in all of
our clinics and also can be found on
our website.
In 2011, we formed a partnership
with the Arthritis Foundation to raise
awareness and funds to support the
organization’s mission to prevent, control, and cure arthritis. Through our
fundraising event, “Healing Hands for
Arthritis,” we have raised more than $1
million in two one-day events for the
organization. Our partnership is a natural fit because we both share a common
understanding of the numerous health
benefits of massage therapy.
From our CEO and franchisees to
our therapists, estheticians, and clinic
staff, we are dedicated to helping our
members and guests live a healthier
lifestyle and continue on the path to
wellness. This is what drives the culture
of our brand and has enabled Massage
Envy to become the national leader of
massage and spa services today. n