What does your brand stand for?

Most of us immediately recognise the Superman brand and what it stands for - truth, justice, freedom and a better tomorrow!

Could you honestly say that everyone in your franchise network shares the same level of clarity about what you stand for and what you want to be known for?

But let’s not confuse the logo with the brand. Just as we recognise the red and gold S on Superman’s chest, the S is not him. Superman is a character that we have thoughts and feelings about.

Similarly, your brand is not your logo - it is how people think and feel about your company when they see your logo.

Customers will largely decide what they think and feel about your brand based on their experience of dealing with you. This experience is delivered primarily by your franchisees and their teams.

Everyone in a franchise network needs to take the brand’s reputation seriously, almost treating it as sacred, because it will be one of the biggest drivers of growth or decline, depending on how it is used. In fact, our research consistently shows that brand passion is one of the biggest predictors of franchisee performance and overall satisfaction.

The starting point is to ensure franchisees and their staff understand what this reputation should be. Then, to train everyone relentlessly on how to conduct themselves when representing the brand, so customers have a consistently positive experience.

Some useful questions to regularly discuss and workshop include:

“What makes us unique or better than our competitors?”

“What do we want people to feel when they deal with us, and to say when they talk about us to others?”

“What do we need to do, and not do, to ensure customers consistently have the right experience, so we protect and enhance our reputation?”

If you can achieve clarity and alignment at all levels of your network, with everyone from top leadership to frontline staff serving your customers, you will be unstoppable, just like Superman!