A significant benefit of entering the franchise industry is the opportunity to invest in a business with an established brand as your partner. It can take time, effort, and resources to build a brand, let alone make it a strong one, but this process is something that franchisees can often bypass when stepping into their role, unlike someone launching a start-up. In fact, franchisees can press the fast-forward button on several essential elements involved in building a brand (i.e., market research, licensing, logo design, marketing, customer acquisition, etc.) as it has already been taken care of by the franchisor.

Despite this sped-up process, it is important to remember that not every franchise brand is created equal. While it’s true that a franchise should have established branding before expanding its network, there are certain factors that can help you determine the strength of its brand awareness among customers and its industry.

Investing in a strong brand can offer reassurance that you have made the right choice and that success can be achievable. But what are the components of a strong franchise brand?

We’ve put together some factors to keep in mind when evaluating franchise brands.

CLEAR BRAND IDENTITY

A brand’s identity can encompass several elements, such as the logo, design, and brand voice, but it all comes together to represent the business to its audience and within its industry. A strong brand identity can help a franchise stand out among the competition, contribute to brand recognition, and build a loyal customer base due to a sense of familiarity and trust that can develop when a brand is well-known.

As you consider which franchise to invest in, determine how the business has branded its materials. Is there a clear, consistent strategy in place? Seek out the brand colors, personality, mission statement/set of values, how the franchise meets customer needs and how it’s communicated, etc. The goal here is to capture a snapshot of the brand as a whole and determine the strength of its approach.

Think of a brand identity like a house’s frame and foundation. Is there structural integrity? Or are the elements unstable? The latter could involve inconsistent brand colors, lack of clarity around the target audience, change in voice among promotions, and any other factors that affect the brand’s overall identity.

Before investing in a franchise, you should have a solid grasp of the brand identity and if it’s being used consistently across their network. This can indicate that the franchise has put in the steps necessary to make the brand memorable and dependable.

TRAINING AND SUPPORT

Maintaining a strong franchise brand requires franchisees to adhere to the same business operations, practices, and values established by the franchisor. This consistency fosters a sense of familiarity and helps to establish strong brand recognition. To achieve this, franchisees often need effective initial training to hit the ground running and ongoing support to succeed.

Research what type of initial and ongoing training the franchise offers and choose one that provides in-depth support. When you have support from the start, it can help you feel prepared and confident to operate the brand successfully.

POSITIVE REPUTATION

One of the most important elements of a strong franchise brand is its reputation among consumers and within its industry. If a franchise has a poor reputation (or no reputation at all), it could mean it needs to better meet the needs of its audience or work on establishing its brand recognition.

Investigate the reputation of a franchise by searching for consumer reviews of their products and services. Read what customers are saying about the business online and what the franchise has displayed on its website. Also, look for what other franchisees say about the opportunity—all of this can contribute to a brand’s reputation. Strong franchise brands should have mostly positive reviews.

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

Franchising involves replicating a successful business model in multiple locations. The key element is consistency; no matter where a customer visits, they should be able to access the same products and services and have a similar experience. However, if a location fails to maintain this level of consistency, it can negatively impact the brand, as it can be more difficult for a customer to know what to expect when engaging with the business.

If possible, visit multiple locations of a franchise when researching the opportunity to see if the customer experience and branding remains consistent across the network.

BRING A DOGTOPIA DAYCARE TO YOUR COMMUNITY

Dogtopia opened its first location in 2002. Since then, we have built a strong brand with an equally strong franchise network, making us North America’s fastest-growing pet franchise. If you are interested in investing in the booming pet industry with a Dogtopia daycare, check out our support page for what you can expect when you become a franchisee with us as well as our FAQ page for answers to questions about the pet industry, Dogtopia, and your investment.