There’s a great quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Life’s persistent and most urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Everyone should ask themselves this question, especially if they are in a position of power. As the leaders of franchising companies, we are uniquely placed to make a real difference through cause marketing.
By embracing a worthy cause, we can inspire our franchisees and corporate staff as well as inspire greater brand loyalty in our customers. Most importantly, though, we can actually change lives.
But what is the ‘why’ your franchising company should embrace? Who should you partner with, and why should the franchisor act instead of the franchisee?
Why the franchisor should act
Franchisees can do amazing things, but their skill sets generally lie in managing their specific businesses. As the franchisor, our specialty is brand management and the development of programs.
From creating online purchasing platforms to developing innovative national marketing programs, we have the skills, perspective, and capital necessary to make system driven innovations happen.
Those are the strengths needed to ensure that a brand’s cause marketing is both effective at reaching consumers and at making an impact in the world. A brand must have a unifying, skilled hand to choose the right cause, find a trustworthy partner, develop quality marketing materials, and create a systematized way to support the cause.
If the matter is left to franchisees, you will have decentralized giving that lacks a cohesive marketing strategy. Yes, you may get the occasional heartwarming story, but franchisees will simply not be able to make the same impact as a franchisor. We have the power and know-how. We get things done.
Finding your ‘why’
When it comes to finding the ‘why’ for a cause marketing campaign, there are two approaches you can take. The first is to derive the ‘why’ from the nature of your company. For example, a company saves a lot of water with its cleaning process, so customers associate it with water. Therefore, choosing a ‘why’ connected to water conservation or activism makes sense.
The other approach you can take is to think about what matters to you. What moves you? Maybe it’s your family. Maybe it’s your childhood spent exploring nature. Maybe you lost a loved one to cancer. As you look over your life, you’ll find a ‘why’ born from love, tragedy, or both. All of these can become a powerful ‘why’ behind your cause marketing.
When you find a ‘why’ that makes sense, you also need to make sure it will make sense to your national or international body of franchisees and consumers. A cause that is too specific or too local needs to be expanded upon to have a broader appeal across various demographics.
Choosing your partner and plan
Once you have your ‘why’, you need to find a trustworthy nonprofit partner. Take your time and properly research various charitable organizations that align with your cause; use resources like CharityNavigator.org to ensure that potential partners will use your donations to their fullest extent.
Once you’ve identified a quality candidate, reach out to them and learn more about what you can expect from a partnership. For example, what marketing materials can they provide, what PR opportunities are available, how can you advertise your donations, and what is the measurable impact of your giving. Knowing all of this will be key to crafting an effective cause marketing campaign.
“By embracing a worthy cause, we can inspire our franchisees and corporate staff as well as inspire greater brand loyalty in our customers”
Lastly, work with your charity partner to establish a giving plan that is both impactful and scalable. For my brand, we wanted the consumer and the franchisee to feel directly involved in giving, so we donate for every job they book through our online scheduler. This method also means our giving can naturally fluctuate with busy or slow seasons – we aren’t tied to a flat amount that is too small if we grow or too big if we face an upset.
Make the most of giving
With a cause, partner, and giving plan, you’re ready to make a difference in the world. As a franchisor, of course, you also need to make sure that your franchisees are benefitting. Using materials given to you by your charity partner and those developed by your team, update your marketing to reflect your new partnership.
Good cause marketing will make customers aware of the cause, your nonprofit partner, and your giving. Helping customers understand how their purchases are changing lives will increase brand loyalty while also making a difference – and all of this is great for the franchisee.
What are you doing for others?
As the franchisor, you can help change the world while also benefiting your brand. It’s up to you and your team to choose a cause that appeals and inspires your system, to find the right partner who will make the most of your donations, and to create a unified cause marketing campaign that will draw in customers and help franchisees grow.
It takes effort, but changing lives is worth every minute and every dollar.
Three questions to find the right ‘why’
- Is the cause easily understood?
- Can the cause motivate people from varied demographics?
- Does the cause relate to your brand?
The author
Jonathan Barnett is the CEO and founder of Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning, one of the nation’s fastest growing carpet cleaning brands with over 440 locations across the U.S. and Canada
