It is often said that uniformity and consistency are the defining features of franchising. Under a successful franchise model, I should be able to walk into any franchised location across Canada and know exactly what types of products and services are available to me. Part of that expectation is fostered by experience, as I participate in the actual consumption of these retail products and service offerings.
But where I cannot visit a store myself to gain that experience, my expectations are formed by the franchise system’s advertising. As a result, it is critically important to franchisors that they impose as much control as possible in advertising and marketing activities to prevent franchisees from going off-message and deviating from that uniformity. Full post.