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2 Introduction Purpose of document Welcome to Guidance and Tips for Designing a Brand and Marketing to Franchisees! The purpose of this document is to offer tips and guidance on how to develop your brand name, logo and messaging, and how to then market that brand to franchisees in order to attract them into your network. Category Guidance and Tips How to use this tool Before designing your brand, read through this guidance and brainstorm ideas for your brand name, logo, coloring and messaging, as well as marketing materials you will develop to market your network to franchisees. Share these ideas with your internal design team or with external designers that you hire to develop your brand. Information to be collected beforehand End-user/client profile and ideal franchisee profile from Social Franchising Strategy Guide presentation. Where to get help The social franchising focal person in your IPPF regional office could be able to help researching local support in design and branding or engaging with the regional office communications team to give feedback on brand drafts.

3 Branding and Marketing your Franchise Branding and marketing your franchise network to franchisees can be one of the most important and challenges tasks of launching your social franchise. This guidance document has been developed to help guide you through the process of branding and marketing to franchisees. The Difference Between Branding and Marketing These two terms are often used together, and successful organizations can t have one without the other. Your brand is what defines who you are, why you exist, what you stand for, how you do business, and what services or products you provide as a social franchise. Brand equals reputation. To build a strong brand requires that all Franchisees send a consistent message to their potential clients. Marketing is how you promote your brand (and services and products). Creating a Brand Brand Mission Statement and Promise Every brand should have a mission statement, which is a clear and concise message that conveys what you do and whom you do it for and reflects your brand promise. The best way to write one is to first refine your brand promise, considering each distinct audience for your brand. Use the table below to adapt or add to these initial ideas for the brand promise. Use the summary of your brand promise that you began to develop in your Social Franchising Strategic Planning Guide Presentation. You will want to save your final version of this table to include in your franchisor operations manual in Stage 3. Refer back to your client and franchisee profile in the Social Franchising Strategic Planning Guide presentation. Stakeholder Franchise Offering Benefits Clients (franchisee customers) Clinic Owners (franchisees) Consistently high-quality clinical care Efficient care (less waiting time) Convenient locations A clean and comfortable atmosphere Privacy, respect, and dignity Signature design that provides assurance of quality (e.g. signature color scheme, decor, and products and equipment) Good value Youth friendly and gender sensitive services Growing consumer branding and recognition though identification with the Franchise Brand; Reliable source of quality authentic prescription medicines and fair wholesale pricing; Training and clinical skills development; Credentials for service expansion; Marketing and advertising opportunities; Business management systems; Business management training; Assistance with getting access to capital; Headquarters and field support; For clients, the franchise makes it easier to get safe and effective products and services they need when they need them For clinic owners, the franchise provides access to a recognized brand and resources that will enable them to increase revenue and build a more profitable business.

4 Donors and Investors Consistent and enforced system standards across the entire franchise channel; A network of other clinics sharing the brand; and, Access to product and service expansion and enhancements as they are developed, to qualified and in-compliance operators. Proven business model Trusted franchisor Regulated system of care assures quality Sustainability Scale For investors and donors, the franchise provides an effective and efficient mechanism for investing in women s health. Government Private sector standards, support, and compliance monitoring Data collection and sharing For government, the franchise provides assistance with regulating the quality of care delivered through the private sector and helps to shift some of the burden of preventative health care to the private sector, thus strengthening public system. Now get together with your team and brainstorm answers to the following questions based on your brand promise: What word(s) best define the client experience at your franchise (both franchisees and end users)? How can you best generalize your promise to the various audiences? What are the key qualities do you want clients to associate with your franchise? You will turn to this mission statement often, especially when deciding on a brand name and logo. What s in a Name? Selecting a name may be one of the most challenging parts about branding. The best names convey a message about what you do in one or two words and should be easy to pronounce and spell. Also, make sure to check that another business with the same name doesn t already exist. For example, the MA in Peru chose the name Red Plan Salud, which means Health Plan Network in English. They chose this name because it was simple and clearly explained the offering, a network of health clinics. The MA in Pakistan created a tagline that incorporated SukhiGhar, which means happy

5 home and the name of a well-known journal published since 1969 to publicize family planning in Pakistan. How to Design a Logo Now that you have your brand identity and name, you need a logo, which is a symbol or design that you can use to promote your franchise and help create brand recognition among customers. For maximum impact, the logo should incorporate pictorial elements that help get your mission across without a design that feels too busy. You ll need to consider colors and fonts (as well as whether each letter is uppercase or lowercase). And in order to maintain the integrity of the brand, the logo must always look the same, whether it s on paper, T-shirts, or walls. In addition, it shouldn t be rotated, used as part of a sentence, reproduced with varying fonts and colors, or on top of a busy background. Picking a Font There are countless options for fonts, and the best ones are simple, easy to read at many different sizes (such as on a big banner and on a pen) and reflect your brand identity. For example, serif fonts which have vertical lines at the end of each letter are classic and traditional, whereas sans serif fonts feel a bit more modern. Choosing Brand/Logo Colors The palette for the logo greatly impacts how customers will view your brand. When designing the logo, it s important to understand that different colors impart different feelings and should be selected based on your mission statement and what message you re trying to convey. For example, yellow feels fun and youthful, green is calming, and purple exudes luxury. A logo should not include too many colors; between one and three is a good rule of thumb. And if you do use three, stick to the concept of when designing: 60% is a primary color, 30% is secondary, and 10% is an accent. Here is an example of the Peruvian Red Plan Salud logo. Branding Guidelines One of the most important factors to consider when branding a franchise network is ensuring consistency across franchisees. Remember that your brand reflects your reputation and the client s perception of your product and service, so it is extremely important that you provide clear guidance to franchisees on how to use, and not use, the brand. You should create a standalone document with your branding guidelines, to accompany the franchisee manual for easy access. The branding guidelines should reference logo use and color palette and overall brand standards. We have provided a template in the toolbox in Stage 2 that you can fill in with your specific information. Remember that your obligations, as laid out in the franchisor manual, include:

6 Applying for licenses, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, and all proprietary rights connected to the brand Providing the Franchisee guidelines for the use of the trademark, logo, and trade dress Providing the Franchisee specifications of print type and color for reproduction in print and signage Many Member Associations give external and internal branded materials to franchisees as a part of the franchise package upon inception into the network. These materials include external signage and banner with the franchise logo and name to clearly associate the franchisee with the franchise network, as well as internal branded signage that denotes clinic rooms and areas, creating consistency both externally and internally across franchisees. Visit the toolbox in Stage 2 to see examples of successful internal and external braded signage from Peru. Branding Pitfalls Here are five things to avoid when branding your franchise: 1. Not defining what makes your franchise special. Your mission statement, tagline, and all marketing materials should convey what sets you apart. 2. Underestimating the importance of a strong name and logo. It may take some time before landing on the perfect words and design, but it s better than rushing into something that doesn t portray who you are and what you do. 3. Not doing enough research on similar social franchises/competitors. In order to avoid No. 1, it s important to understand what else is out there and how you can differentiate yourself. 4. Not understanding your audience. If you don t know what type of person you re targeting, it will be difficult to market your brand correctly. 5. Being inconsistent. Consistency is key when it comes to branding and marketing language, so as not to confuse potential clients or providers. Marketing your Brand to Franchisees Marketing is the act of promoting your brand. To do this successfully, it s best to create a marketing plan that maps out the types of promotions you plan to do to reach out to your clients, in this case franchisees, and the materials and resources you will need to carry them out, such as brochures and fliers. Materials should focus on the benefits of your network and the value proposition. Think about your target audience and the best way to get their attention. Start by clearly defining your franchisee profile: For example: Certified midwives in the Independence neighborhood of Lima, Peru who have their own consultation rooms and currently offer gynecological services. Now articulate their needs, wants and desires as they relate to the franchise network

7 For example: The target group wants to be able to better meet their clients needs, offering a wider range of options for access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, while also benefiting from an established brand and network of health providers. Based on this, outline the best marketing and communications actions, materials and messaging you will need to be able to attract franchisees. Take a look at these two examples of brochures used to market the franchise network to franchisees, found in the toolbox in Stage 2 for ideas: - Puerto Rico Brochure to attract franchisees - Peru Brochure to attract franchisees