When your parent company advertises

Something that’s often worth reading is the thoughts of franchise owners that come my way occasionally. One such franchise is Domino’s Pizza, which sends me a monthly bulletin. This month it was about the value of advertising and how to piggyback a national campaign from your parent company. Here are some relevant extracts:

“… a strong and effective marketing campaign that keeps your product front of consumers’ minds is a must.”

Advertising however comes at a cost, that is often too high for independent traders, and is a sophisticated art that demands time and expert knowledge to get right.

Being part of a franchise offers business owners the opportunity to operate under a consistent and often high profile brand at all times, gaining advantage over their independent competitors. By paying into a national advertising fund, Domino’s franchisees gain a greater return on their marketing investment and can tap into a wealth of marketing expertise.

Andy Hirst, Franchise Sales Manager for Domino’s Pizza, comments, “We have always tried to make our franchisees’ money go further by investing in effective marketing campaigns that will have an impact on our customers. This includes working with stores to balance the national Domino’s message with supporting local activity. No one understands the needs of individual customers better than our local franchisees.

“As a result of strong marketing platforms such as TV, the Internet and local tailored advertising, Domino’s consumer brand awareness now stands at 96%. Having a high profile means it is much easier to ‘weather the storms’ which so often arise from an unpredictable change in the retail environment.”

Pizza People

Mike Groves currently owns three Domino’s Pizza stores in Worthing, Chichester and Hastings, with plans for two more stores in the north of England. He believes the key to great marketing is having a balance between national and local activity, which will engage customers and drive demand all year round.

Mike says, “Businesses need to be able to adapt to changes in the market. Part of this is having the right marketing campaign to retain a strong brand awareness with customers. When Domino’s is on TV, I extend the national campaign locally by increasing direct mail activity and adding local radio to the mix where possible.

“There is no question that widespread national advertising supported by targeted local marketing can have a significant impact on performance. My stores always see increases in sales during high profile marketing activity!”

Guy Clapperton is a freelance journalist who specialises in small business issues and has written for the likes of The Guardian, the FT and the Daily Mirror. Guy has written about finance and franchising for SmallBizPod. http://www.guyclapperton.co.uk