The ‘Ewe’SP and why franchises should prioritise their branding strategy

The franchise industry boasts some of the most diverse, dynamic and exciting opportunities available to entrepreneurs today. But in an increasingly saturated business scape, it has never been more important for these brands’ marketing strategies and USPs to be kept consistently ahead of the curve in order to continue resonating with their exact target demographic – as well as maintain relevance as a whole. Here, the Managing Director of EweMove, Nick Neill, discusses why franchise brands must prioritise the development of cutting-edge, streamlined marketing strategies and USPs when forging longevity and, more importantly, network-wide success. 

This month’s insight begins with a story. And despite being over 20 years old, it not only continues to encapsulate consumer behaviour perfectly, but absolutely applies to the world of franchising today. Our story begins on a regular day at a supermarket in 2000. On this particular day, customers had the chance to browse and purchase an impressive 24 jams from a display table. Fast forward to the following day, at the same supermarket, on the same display table, customers were only given the choice of six¹. Can you guess which day was more successful for jam sales? You guessed it – the second day and so it was proven that choice paralyses the consumer.

Today, we call this phenomenon ‘the paradox of choice’ – meaning that in the franchise industry, the more a brand overloads consumers with unnecessary information or overly complex branding, the less likely they are to choose that brand’s product or services. And this tells us two things: 

1. In a saturated market, consumers respond better to bolder branding and more obviously unique products and services
2. Complexity does not fit in a saturated business scape. People like to be shown what is appealing without having to make a conscious effort.

Brands that can demonstrate a streamlined, well-organised approach to marketing and branding see greater conversion rates and subsequently a more successful return on investment. This does not necessarily mean that branding itself and the way in which it is distributed needs to be basic, but ‘trimming the fat’ makes a franchise more appealing to those fatigued by an overly complex choice. So how can the franchise industry put this into practise? 

Well, as EweMove operates in an industry so heavily criticised for being too corporate and impersonal, we have achieved longevity and success by quite literally doing the opposite of what makes consumers lose interest. This has opened our franchise to the incredible opportunity of making our branding fun and appealing to a younger audience. While EweMove primarily caters to adults looking to buy, sell, let or rent properties, it may seem counterintuitive for our marketing to be attractive to children too, but there can be several benefits to this approach – mainly, influence! By ensuring our marketing appeals to adults and children alike, EweMove indirectly influences parents and adults to consider using our services. If children express enthusiasm for EweMove thanks to an instantly recognisable mascot, our direct target demographic naturally becomes more inclined to explore the brand in more detail.

This does not necessarily demonstrate the power of simplicity as a way of capturing the attention of our customers, but our bold branding gives us another route towards getting their attention. As we know, franchise brands unafraid of going against the curve in order to stay ahead of it are far more likely to have a recognisable, familiar and attractive USP. This is especially true in industries that regularly face backlash for not quite ‘hitting home’ when it comes to suiting the needs and behaviour of their customers.

While it is important for franchises to maintain ethical marketing practices and consider the wellbeing of their customers and others who come across their brand, these potential benefits demonstrate how creative, bold and striking marketing strategies open more doors for success today. In 2023’s time-poor society, so few people have the time to truly devote themselves to researching the intricacies of each and every choice available. So, how should franchises mitigate the risk of getting lost in the crowd? By ensuring they are at the top of everyone’s list through branding impossible to ignore. 

_{1 Sheena Iyengar & Mark Lepper, 2000, When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?}