Why you must let your franchisor lead on public communications
When your brand is being impacted by external events,...
When your brand is being impacted by external events, it can be tempting to react and issue a statement, discuss your feelings with the press or publicize your personal opinion, but these knee-jerk reactions can often harm your business instead of helping it. It is essential that you let your franchisor lead on all public communications, and do not be tempted to make statements that may contradict or vary from their stated message.
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Why is this so important?
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Strategic overview
To you, your business is everything; to your franchisor, it is just one branch of their business. They understand the bigger picture and can see how the entire brand will be impacted, thereby enabling them to make strategic decisions that will safeguard not only your business but the brand as a whole. As a franchisee, you may not be aware of how your response could threaten others just like you, so it is always safer to wait for clear instructions and direct any concerns to your franchisor to handle.
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Consistent messaging
Your franchisor is committed to protecting and strengthening their brand, so they will create a communications plan that delivers consistent, clear messaging on all important points. They will know how to respond to external threats in a logical, concise and clear manner. In cases where they are uncertain, they will seek advice from dedicated professionals who can assist them in delivering a consistent message.
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Maintaining consumer trust
Optimizing customer relations and maintaining consumer trust are vital, and contradictory, unclear or confused messaging will worry your customer base, most likely unnecessarily. Your franchisor knows its customer demographics well and is best placed to target their communications to address their concerns, assuage their fears and reassure them of the ongoing viability of the business.
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Ongoing analysis
Your franchisor will continually assess the impact and success of their messaging campaigns, whether it is for product launches or to reassure a worried customer base about news articles or external forces that could impact the business. They will then adapt and tailor their messaging based on the results of the analysis to ensure that their aims are achieved. They cannot do this when individual franchisees release their own public messaging. When it comes to matters of great importance, do not interfere in their planned messaging. Instead, seek to reinforce it and direct customers to it when necessary.
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Your franchisor has your best interests at heart and wants your business to succeed, so please trust them on all matters of public communications, refresh your understanding of your brand's communications strategy, and seek your franchisor's guidance if you are approached by the media.
