How do you drive business with field distribution channels that have some autonomy?
Think franchise business models with retail stores, agents, and or dealer channels.
Answers (3)
David A
Partner, OCD Media, LLC
Best Answers in: Advertising (19), Internet Marketing (2), Business Development (2), Public Relations (2), Planning (2), Government Policy (1), Guerrilla Marketing (1), Market Research and Definition (1), Starting Up (1)
Whatever business building efforts you push must be put in perspective on how it helps the individual franchisee/dealer. I've dealt with this issue with franchisees.
Does your operation have a training program for new franchisees/dealers? If so, use this opportunity to add a section on brand marketing so that they understand what you're trying to accomplish.
Rich T
Director, Business Development at Ipsos North America
Best Answers in: Direct Marketing (2), Sales Techniques (2), Advertising (1), Internet Marketing (1), Business Development (1), Lead Generation (1)
Develop an advisory panel that includes a representative portion of Franchisees from the company's geography (e.g. U.S.). Then prepare a series of brainstorming and strategic planning workshops to engage the owners (or their managers) in the marketing planning process.
It's important that this process be well organized and walk participants through each aspect of strategy and decision-making (e.g. target audience analysis, messaging strategy, media mix selection, etc.)
Ultimately, you must have the support and buy-in of Franchisees for any co-op marketing program to be successful. If franchisees aren't invested in your process. the campaign, no matter how good, will fail.
Building trust by collaborating and communicating with Franshisees is key to success. Without it, you can invest in and conduct corporate advertising and marketing programs, that may even generate solid new business leads, only to find that the field offices don't follow up on them.
Having dealt with Franchise groups in the Automotive, Retail Grocery, Retail Electronics and Insurance businesses I know from experience that to grow a business, and brand, from the field takes grass root support, enthusiasm and trust.
It may also be a good idea to start small, i.e. test the approach within a single geography among a few Franchisees. Build the model for success and corresponding proof (sales growth), then merchandise the success among the rest of the Franchisees while rolling out the program.
Good luck.
Despite the perception to the contrary the good old fashioned Yellow Pages is still the most effective way to reach local buyers. This is especially true when it is combined with a targeted local search marketing campaign on the major search engines. Many manufacturers offer co-op programs to increase their own brand awareness to off set the cost of such programs.
Not all leads are created equally and conversion rates from that old obsolete book in your cupboard averages 86% vs. the on-lines 2-3% average conversion rates. Not to mention the Wall Street Journal in both May 2006 and December 2007 stated 61% of consumers go to the print book first for local information. Many publishers will even put tracking lines in ads to show value. If they don't offer them however Telemetrics can provide you with one or more.
Regardless of the medium content is king, if the consumer isn't called to action it's worthless.
