Every franchisee knows the balancing act: stay on brand, but still make your location feel like your own.
The brand is a huge part of why you bought into the franchise. But people don’t join a brand. They join a local business, with real people, in their suburb. Good franchise marketing does both at once.
Why do franchise networks have brand guidelines?
To keep every location looking and sounding consistent, which protects the brand you’ve invested in and makes every location’s marketing work harder.
When one location runs a cheap-looking ad, it reflects on everyone. Guidelines exist so the whole network benefits from a strong, consistent brand. It’s worth seeing them as an asset, not a hurdle.
How do we make ads feel local while staying on brand?
Keep the brand look, then fill it with local people, places and stories: your team, your members, your suburb.
The brand gives you the frame. What goes inside it should be unmistakably yours. A coach from your location, a member from down the road, a landmark locals recognise.
That combination of a trusted brand and a familiar face is hard to beat.
The brand gives you the frame. What goes inside it should be unmistakably yours.The Digi playbook
How do we get local marketing approved faster?
Build campaigns that fit the guidelines from the start, and work with people who already know the approval process.
Most delays come from back and forth: the wrong logo lockup, an off-brand phrase, a claim that needs checking. Getting it right the first time keeps your campaigns moving.
This is where a partner who knows the network saves real time. We’ve been a preferred supplier to Anytime Fitness since 2023 and know what gets approved.
What can head office do, and what’s up to us?
Head office typically builds the brand and national campaigns. Driving local leads and sign-ups is usually up to each location.
National campaigns build awareness. But the conversion happens locally: the ad someone sees for your location, the call from your team, the tour of your space. That local layer is where most growth is won or lost.
Local marketing inside a big brand.
Franchise locations that grew with campaigns built for their community.
Let’s make your marketing local.
We help franchisees run on-brand campaigns that bring in local members. See how we work with Anytime Fitness clubs.
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