The franchise tug of war – maximising PR for franchisee and franchisor

 Ignite PR & Marketing works with a wide variety of franchises and one of the key elements of support we provide is generating publicity for franchisees at a local level.

Specialising in providing public relations for franchises is at times a difficult task due to the complexities involved with managing the relationships and expectation of both the franchisor and franchisee.

A common issue we come across involves managing media for individual franchisees. Sometimes this process is laboured as franchisees may not deem a PR project a priority over the day to day running of their business. Sometimes they don’t return calls, approve press releases promptly or assist us in providing the right information to make a strong story. The franchisor will still expect strong results but we have found they can help the relationship, and maximise the power of PR for franchisees.

The most successful franchise companies let their franchisees know the value and importance of media coverage. They hold media training days, Q&A sessions and brief franchisees on the importance of wearing correct uniforms during photo shoots etc. They inform the network of media releases going out on their behalf and assist them as much as possible. It is crucial the franchisor communicates what public relations campaigns they are running with franchisees so they know how to deal with media when they call.

So what can be done to ensure both parties get the most out of utilising a PR agency for franchising development?

Franchisees can inform the PR department of any interesting community events they may be sponsoring, return calls and enquiries to the media or agency promptly and assist in developing or sourcing information for stories. They can make sure they represent the brand and company well (ie. keep logo/brand in shot in photographs etc). And be willing to be involved in any media opportunities thrown their way.

Franchisors can keep all current contact details up to date for franchisees, ensure that they have accurate and current high resolution photographs on file of each owner, inform franchisees of the PR company they are working with and also email out appropriate media releases to franchisees so they are across all media opportunities. It is also a good idea to hold some basic media training at your national conference so franchisees understand what is expected of them and are aware of how effective media coverage can be.

Ignite PR & Marketing specialise in providing PR for franchises and can help raise awareness of your brand. If you have any questions about franchise PR, please feel free to contact us on 07 3368 1650.