Getting your locations up and running again is no easy task. Businesses are navigating uncharted waters as they work to balance the need to optimize their revenue, while simultaneously protecting their employees and customers.
Mix in consumer sentiment concerns about the safety of visiting brick and mortar store locations, implementing new operational policies, evaluating the need to maintain popular (new) buying channels (i.e. carryout, curbside pickup, etc.) – across multi-unit locations – then add in the need to communicate these changes to build consumer trust with your brand, in addition to differing policies at state, even local levels, has created a complex juggling act.
Here are a few tips, that will help you streamline and ensure a successful and safe-as-possible reopening, without breaking the bank or overwhelming your corporate marketing team.
Simplify your (re)openings with kits.
One of the many reasons people buy in to a franchise is to gain access to the corporate structure and brand, enabling franchisees to run their business, while the corporate team drives brand consistency and operational efficiency that creates a strong organizational foundation. And while a pandemic was likely not in the disaster preparedness plan, local franchise owners will be looking to the corporate office to establish procedures and protocols that align with the brand’s vision, ensuring employee and customer safety and providing them the needed materials (and guidelines) to reopen successfully.
As your locations begin to reopen, creating and sending pre-set, branded kits, is a great option to provide your locations with what they need to open safely – while ensuring that they don’t drift off-brand. Businesses may function differently across industries, however providing updated branded materials to successfully get up and running is critical to everyone.
Must-Have Assets in Reopening Kits:
- COVID-19 Signage: Create, print and send updated COVID-19 signage that informs your customers and employees of regulations or procedures in place (corporate or state mandated) and to keep people safely informed of COVID regulations at your locations.
- Employee & Customer Safety Manuals: You have likely updated employee manuals, work policies, operational policies to follow CDC guidelines, procedures for employee well-being checks, and/or employee on-boarding requirements based on corporate changes and/or state/county requirements. Including these materials in a kit provides the same materials, across all locations, ensuring that everyone is “in the know” and are prepped and ready to reopen as safely as possible.
- Employee & Consumer PPE: Ensuring employee safety is likely at the forefront. Provide PPE in your kits – anything from masks, hand sanitizer, throw away masks, etc. – to your employees and front-line staff. If your brick & mortar location requires masks, you can provide one-time use masks for consumers upon entry.
Order on-demand, variable branded kits (and assets).
As you look to create your re-opening materials and/or kits, the ramifications of state and local authorities having disparate rules and regulations could make it difficult to have a “one size fits all” kit across all locations. While pre-set kits work well for static assets and materials, you may want to consider providing access to approved, branded assets that can be localized and customized by your franchisee owners or local store managers that can be included as part of the kit.
By providing access for local stores to create customized and localized assets, you can help ensure franchises owners keep your brand on point.
Tip: Provide easy-to-use assets that will increase local awareness and ROI, including posters, POS, banners, window / floor decals, gift cards and updated promo items.
Look beyond kits.
While variable pieces can be included as part of a kit, having a branded asset portal easily allows franchisee owners and local store managers access to branded material at their fingertips. These types of materials will allow local stores to more easily connect with consumers, while you ensure they stay on brand.
In addition, as rules and regulations morph over time, in lieu of providing entire kits, you can provide access to approved, branded assets – saving you time and money allowing them to order and customize and localize on demand. Your team will no longer have to micromanage each order, can easily review and approve customized assets, ensuring your brand stays on point.
Branding the New Normal
No franchise is exactly the same – and neither are your responses to COVID. What is the same, is that every franchise owner is looking for direction and clarity. Learn more about how OneTouchPoint is here to support you as you navigate the new normal.