Franchising is a $400 billion industry with more than 740,000 franchises in the United States alone. While these numbers suggest a strong sector with fool-proof growth, franchising can be a risky endeavor. In fact, about 19 percent of franchise loans end in failure, according to the Small Business Administration. The secret to a successful franchise comes down to one simple concept: brand.
A brand is more than a logo and a catchy tagline — it’s about everything you do in your business to provide a consistent product experience to your customers. Branding is what you remember and feel when you think about a product, service, or organization, and paying attention to brand is a profitable strategic move for some of the biggest brands in the world. Strong brands become household names with brand values that surpass revenue. Take Google, with a brand value $21 billion more than its revenue, or Coca-Cola’s with a whopping $56.4 billion brand value, $36.6 billion higher than its 2016 revenues.
Branding can fail for several reasons, including poor products, false advertising, market saturation, irrelevancy, inconsistency, or safety violations. Franchises that ensure consistency and avoid these pitfalls rank among the most successful businesses in the world. McDonald’s, H&M, Toyota, and UPS have all invested huge amounts of time and money into creating memorable and effective brands.
A strong and authentic brand can lead to success for years to come; a weak brand can set a franchise up for failure. It all starts with a promise to your customers. Once you make that promise, it’s up to you to ensure every location keeps that promise.
You don’t have to spend as much the mega brands to build and care for your brand in meaningful ways for your business. Here are five simple tips to ensure your franchise maintains a strong brand image as it grows.

Define Your Brand

If you want your brand to be consistent, you must define a brand that speaks to your core values. Remember, your brand is a realistic promise to your customers. If you set the expectations too high, your brand — and franchise — may ultimately fail.

Determine Your Target Audience

Nordstrom targets high-end shoppers while Ross targets the everyday shopper. Coca- Cola targets the world while Honest Tea targets the environmentally and health-conscious consumer. Knowing your audience is important because the story you tell needs to resonate with that core group of people. After all, no one and no company can be all things to all people. Define your brand and tell your story to your target audience.

Create the Narrative

Your franchise brand should tell a story that customers can identify with and remember. Remember, the success of a brand can’t be measured by a single event, so your story must keep your customers engaged. The success of a brand is generally determined by its longevity. If the narrative dies, so does the brand. Patagonia tells its outdoor and environmental story through each catalog, blog, and book created by the company. Tom’s tells its one for one story with compelling videos of its shoe recipients.

Master Brand Guidelines

Consistency is crucial to the success of any brand. Once you have defined your brand, you need to create brand guidelines. The more detailed you can be, the better. Signage, materials, colors, fonts, employee greetings, and in-store music all influence the brand image. Think through every aspect of the business — from the parking lot to the bathrooms — and create guidelines around how you want your customers to feel throughout each touchpoint of your business. For example, Abercrombie & Fitch uses music and perfume as part of the customer experience within their brand guidelines.

Brand in Everything

Your brand should be reflected in everything that your customer sees. This includes business cards, advertisements, websites, and social media platforms. Once you created a voice for your brand, use it for every piece of content you create. This helps you build trust and confidence with the customer.