Clean and simple, or ornate and elaborate – it’s up to you. When it comes to branding your franchise, the best businesses decide on a great look and stick with it. After all, customers that visit a franchise expect and value a consistency in a company’s branding, products, services, and overall look. As a franchise, branding is your most important asset.
From developing a style guide to coordinating media presence, it’s the little details that build strong franchise branding. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the top six items to consider when branding your franchise.
1. Start With the End in Mind
Before you start branding your franchise, you need to think about your overarching goals for your franchise branding. What are you trying to accomplish with your branding? Who are you trying to reach? What would you like to communicate with your audience? Having a set direction for all branding efforts ensures that all materials align with short-term and long-term goals.
Also, in order to avoid wasting resources, it is important to determine what printed pieces your franchises need ahead of time. Once this is established, you can begin the design process. Remember to make sure that all materials are legible, grammatically correct, and include easily-understood content.
2. Design a Logo
Your logo is your marker. It is the image that will bind your brand together. It should be plastered on everything you do from your webpage to your emails. The biggest brands in the world are identifiable by their logo. When you think of Apple, you don’t picture the word, you picture that piece of fruit with a chunk taken out of it.
When it comes to designing a logo, try to create something that works in big and small spaces. It should be equally comfortable on huge billboards and tiny smartphone screens.
3. Develop a Style Guide
Consistency is key. Because of this, if one unit of your franchise is not in line with the company branding, the consequences can be disastrous. By sharing a style guide with all of your franchisees, you will be able to protect the integrity of your company and increase consistency and brand familiarity across all locations. To develop a style guide for your brand, remember to include:
- Logo size
- Color palette
- Fonts
- Mission statement
- Your brand’s voice
- Your brand’s core values
4. Coordinate Your Media Presence
Your presence on digital and print media is not exempt from following a style guide as well. Whether you are being represented on social media or are developing a print advertising strategy, brand consistency is an integral aspect of franchise branding.
Although there might be different individuals or departments designing your print materials and posting to Facebook, that doesn’t mean they can’t have a shared voice. By referencing the media guide mentioned in the third section of this article, you will be able to share a consistent look and feel.
5. Print in Bulk and Divide Cost
Once you’ve completed the design and preparation stages, you will need to get your message out there. That means utilizing your new logo and style guide to design business cards, personalized letterhead, brochures, and more.
Plus, by printing on the same items for all franchise locations, you can lower your costs by printing in bulk and dividing the cost among your franchisee base! For guidance with choosing proper materials and printing at an effective cost, we recommend working with printing experts.
6. Enlist the Support of Experts
If you’re unsure about any part of branding your franchise, you should enlist the help of experts. Graphic designers, printing experts, creative/strategic brand consultants, and so on, can execute your vision for your company. Branding your franchise is an extremely important, yet difficult, task.
The largest companies around the globe rely on marketing experts, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you need help with design or with printing for your emerging franchise, contact the experts at The Print Authority!
Branding Your Franchise
In conclusion, never underestimate the power of branding your franchise. Remember, it’s often the name, logo, and branding that franchisees and customers buy into. As you continue to expand your business, a strong identity will become even more important. Branding is the glue that ties all franchise locations together!
If you want high-quality printing at affordable rates, contact us at The Print Authority today! We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
