Franchise Update Magazine Issue II, 2016 | Page 33

and what will motivate them to purchase , become loyal , and what products and services should be added or eliminated so the brand can become much more effective and increase sales . By understanding the audience , we can tell a better story on the website , guide the user journey , and make the interaction enjoyable and productive so the experience is positive and accomplishes our client ’ s goals .”
Achieving these goals is more difficult today because target audiences are changing . Millennials are becoming more important as both consumers and franchise buyers . How they seek information is often very different from how Baby Boomers do . Marketers must recognize this and ensure they are speaking to both audiences in a way that connects with how each learns about products and opportunities .
Technology also continues to reshape the marketing landscape . Though “ big data ” isn ’ t new , it has become much more accessible and affordable , and franchisors must learn how to leverage their digital assets . Campbell believes taking this information and coupling it with consumer insights and predictive analytics should become a bigger part of the planning process for franchise brands .
The role of social media marketing continues to grow in both B2C and B2B campaigns . Brands today must actively manage their reputation online , be responsive to their followers , and continue to share and market themselves in a very organic and authentic way to stay relevant , says Campbell . If you are not authentic , consumers will see right through you , especially Millennials , who use social media to research brands and make informed decisions on their purchases — including the purchase of a franchise opportunity .
Partnering with its clients to
“ Unless you work with an agency that understands the business of franchising , you will likely fall short of providing bestin-class marketing strategy and tools .”
— DAWN KANE create long-lasting relationships built on mutual trust is important to Hot Dish . “ We have the most success when we truly partner with a franchisor ,” says Kane . “ We look to partner with brands that allow us to immerse ourselves in the brand and be treated like an extension of their in-house team . This allows us to have a transparent relationship , access to data to make better recommendations , and feedback so we can grow together .” n

Supplier Spotlight

CASE STUDY : TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ

Fast casual restaurant brand Tropical Smoothie Café engaged with Hot Dish Advertising in 2013 to implement an integrated franchise development marketing program . The agency helped the brand ensure that they had the right tools , messaging , and strategic plan in place to accomplish their goals .

To develop a marketing and media plan that would attract new leads , the Hot Dish team went to work determining Tropical Smoothie ’ s target audience and unique selling proposition . They created a new website and print and online ads with extensive URL tracking codes to identify where leads originated and to evaluate the quality of those leads . They also used SiriusXM radio spots , digital media including pay-perclick , display ads , social media ads on LinkedIn and Facebook , and print advertising . The entire process took 16 weeks to get up and running .
The results were successful — and measurable . Tropical Smoothie signed more than 100 new franchise agreements in 2014 , and another 199 in 2015 . “ Hot Dish has been a big part of us reaching our growth objectives ,” says Charles Watson , chief development officer at Tropical Smoothie . Today , the brand has a 5 percent website traffic-to-sales ratio , a $ 120 cost per lead , and an average cost per sale below $ 6,000 .
“ The true partnership we have with Hot Dish has driven results in growing our franchise system and allowed Tropical Smoothie Café to put our ‘ best foot forward ’ in the hyper-competitive area of franchise development ,” says Watson . n
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