Getting Franchisees To Play
nine months out .
The brand ’ s Club ’ 84 is a loyalty program , not a points program , but it does offer benefits and keeps customers connected to the company . “ It ’ s an opportunity for us to keep our guests informed about the brand ,” says Matheson , through offers on birthdays and anniversaries , as well as through previews of LTOs and menus , VIP parties , special offers , and “ insider ” information that makes them feel special , and closer to the brand . Club members also have participated in consumer research such as menu development and providing feedback on food presentation , taste profiles , and other potential changes .
Welcome to Moe ’ s ! Moe ’ s Southwest Grill currently has more than 650 franchised locations in the U . S ., spread across 39 states . This summer , Moe ’ s launched a new loyalty program called Rockin ’ Rewards . The goal was to create a single , unified app and loyalty program , making it easier for customers to earn and redeem points , order online , receive promotions and special offers , refer friends , engage online with the brand , and participate in surveys and provide feedback , says Alan Magee , Moe ’ s director of brand marketing .
The brand connects with customers on more than half a dozen platforms , including Vine , Instagram , Snapchat , Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , and Google +. “ That ’ s where our customers are ,” say Magee . Each channel or platform requires a different communication strategy with different messages and purposes , he says .
The new app is part of Moe ’ s strategy to engage brand fans on a deeper level , says Magee . “ It ’ s not only the basics of loyalty and redeeming points , but how can we add to their experience ,” whether in-store or online .
One new in-store experience being rolled out this quarter is adding an augmented reality feature to the new app . Inside the restaurants , Moe ’ s customers will be able to log in to the app , hold their phone up to original wall art called Rockscapes , press a button , and watch the poster “ come alive ” with movement
and music , says Magee . The six musically themed Rockscape posters commemorate a different memorable moment in rock history — and were made using real food items . At first only one piece of art will come digitally alive , with the rest staged in next year .
While the Pokémon Go craze prepared the general public for augmented reality , Moe ’ s started planning this about a year ago . “ Pokémon came along and amplified AR , but we already were pretty well down the road ,” says Magee . Welcome to AR !
Franchisees and LSM Before launching the new app , Moe ’ s engaged a committee of franchisees early in the process . Moe ’ s also tested it with franchisees in selected markets and tweaked it before rolling it out nationwide . In general , he says , franchisees responded positively . Corporate worked with franchisees to show them how to use the app and involve their crews to engage with local fans and show them how to earn and redeem points .
At the store level ,
Alan Magee franchisees can offer promotions through the app , another way to get them involved in local store marketing . After a customer downloads the app , they can choose their favorite store and receive local offers , such as double points all week , or come in at a certain time of day and get 50 percent off an entrée .
BW & R also is focusing on boosting local store marketing efforts . At their annual conference , a panel presented local marketing activities that are working for its franchisees . The brand also is starting a monthly blog that showcases franchisees using local store marketing effectively , as well as an “ LSM toolbox ” to educate operators about other programs implemented by franchisees , showing them not only the strategy , but how to execute it in their own stores . Larger , multi-unit franchisees , says Matheson , can afford to hire their own resources and marketing teams .
Both brands have implemented a centralized , national strategy for their websites and social media channels , with room for franchisees to customize for their local markets . “ When I started here , I had heart palpitations when I saw that everyone had their own page . My first reaction was to shut them down and have a national page ,” she says . Since then , “ I ’ ve come to understand the importance of franchisees
Getting Franchisees To Play
A common problem for brands is convincing franchisees to participate in local marketing efforts and campaigns . Is their time worth it ? Can they follow through and do it consistently over time ? Respond to negative online reviews , or even positive ones ? Keep their local website or Facebook page current ?
BW & R works hard to solve these problems through training intended to help its operators understand the importance of maintaining a strong digital presence . A session on social media at its annual conference walked attendees through the benefits and reasons to be active on Facebook — from brand building to how it will boost sales by driving customers into their stores , as well as where Facebook is going so they can keep up .
There ’ s also basic training on the 80 / 20 rule ( see main article ), how to take photos for posting online , how to respond to comments , and making sure franchisees have assigned someone to do local store marketing . Looking ahead , she says national messages will be pushed out to local pages . “ Today we let them opt in and determine local content ,” says Matheson . In addition , she says , “ We are starting to deploy some field marketing associates to partner with stores and help them .”
Some franchisees get LSM and digital , especially multi-unit owners , she says , and they ’ re very successful at it . However , she adds , “ It ’ s always a work in progress .” In the hustle and bustle of everyday firefighting , “ They forget LSM is something they have to keep doing . It ’ s never-ending . We want to move the ‘ goods ’ to ‘ great .’” One way to make this easier , she adds , is to build this question into the vetting process ( if it ’ s not already there ) with new candidates : Do they have the ability to do LSM ?
MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE IV , 2016 57