Marketing mantras to fit well in the franchising frame

In simple words, marketing is all about the tactics that either a franchise company or an entrepreneur uses to position his/her brand or brand’s products to target the potential customers in the market. With the increasing cut-throat competition in the market, many of the international brands those are present in India are doing strategic planning to establish their footprint in India on a nationwide basis. No one can deny the fact that getting success in a new market is a Herculean task! It doesn’t matter how successful these international brands are in their own countries. But the point to consider is - how to entice the Indian customers for a foreign brand? It is one of the most common queries franchisees of international brands have when they look at increasing the footfalls in their outlets.

Think global, act local

When any brand enters into a new market, it thoroughly conducts a market research, seeks for a right partner who understands the local market, and the consumer’s preferences in terms of tastes and liking towards the foreign brands. The franchisor initiates the research work by analysing the consumption patterns in that targeted area or market where he/she is planning to expand, assesses the competition, and then takes a step further to use the right marketing tactics to create a brand recall in the mind of the target customers.

It is significant to note that the before taking the master franchise of an international brand one must endeavour to put oneself into the shoes of a potential customer so as to understand – why would they buy your product, and what could possibly prompt a buying decision.

Assuming someone has taken the master franchise of an international fast food brand then he/she needs to understand the eating out habits of the consumers in that specific area, he needs to understand the customer preferences in terms of the taste and on the basis of this research he can introduce various product offerings in his menu accordingly, in order to generate footfalls.

In a diverse country like India, international brands have to adapt its offerings as per the needs of consumers. In actual, it contributes to its success. At times, there is a need to make use of right marketing tactics such as ‘Indianisation’ of foreign brand’s to target the market. Besides ‘localisation’ or ‘Indiandisation’ of foreign brand, there are other marketing tactics that persuade the customers towards the brand.

Right pricing

Right pricing is another important aspect. For example; Indian consumers are very price conscious; they will not buy a brand on an escalated price. The franchisee of international brand outlets can promote the brand by offering free gifts on purchasing their products, offer discounts and scratch cards. They can also introduce promotions like ‘buy one and get one free, marketing strategy like this can have an influence on the customer.  Franchisees are also suggested to keep products in the display that enhance impulse buying. Some of the international brands like Pepe Jeans London, Espirit, Adidas, Levi’s, United Colors of Benetton go in for end of season sales to free up the old stocks in a way to entice the brand conscious consumers. Some of the F&B brands like Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Café Coffee Day, and Domino’s introduced new items in their menus at less prices.

In a nutshell, the best tactic for success of any international brand is to start small with small offerings and then expand slowly into the diverse categories, based on the customer response from the market.