Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch: It's not what you think!

by Kim McWatt

My colleague Krista Benz and I had the opportunity to present at the Canadian Franchise Association’s annual Marketing Day held at The Old Mill in Toronto. Our topic was on strategies to engage and excite your dealer, franchise and sales networks.

If You Build It…They Will Come

If you build it...they will come

As shown in our experience and in the discussion at the session, corporate offices continue to develop marketing tools and promotional programs for their dealer or franchise channel, only to experience a low adoption rate in the channel. It’s the whole “If you build it…they will come” concept.

Create an amazing promotion, develop a point-of-purchase kit with detailed instructions, send it out and you get…meh.  Either the network doesn’t even notice or they look and say “I don’t have time for marketing.” Having great tools does not mean the channel will use them.

This is where our approach comes in.

Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch

To get your network engaged, it takes a combination of two things:

Hi-Tech / Hi-Touch

Hi-Tech – fast, efficient, and effective web enabled marketing solutions. These can be marketing resource centres that offer the templates and tools to create local store marketing programs quickly and effectively. Or centralized dealer portals that provide instant access to not only the marketing resources, but training on how to effectively use the tools plus communications conduits to reach out to corporate to get the support they need. Or even social media communities that connect corporate to employees within the franchisee network (think Best Buy Blue Shirt Nation or even a simple closed Facebook group)

AND

Hi-Touch – specially trained marketing specialists who can help the channel understand and adopt the tools in their local markets. These individuals give the training and support to help a dealer or franchisee get the most from the marketing programs corporate offers. They become the conduit for feedback and continuous improvement of programs and promotions.

This combination of technology and support leads to that ultimate business relationship nirvana known as TRUST. When corporate and their network learn to trust each other and understand each other’s needs, this leads to wider adoption of marketing programs.

Bottom Line

Dealers and franchisees are focused on their business – marketing is not always a first priority. Because of this, don’t expect full adoption of programs or promotions without ongoing support to the channel. Collaboration and communication between corporate and the channel will build trust – which in the long run will lead to sales success out in the market.

What has been your experience launching a promotion to your network? Meh or WOW?

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