In an industry crowded with competitors, franchise brand differentiation is harder than it sounds. Even seasoned CMOs and franchise marketing leaders struggle to articulate their brand’s unique edge.
“It seems like a simple question that you would think a CMO could define in five minutes, but it’s not always that simple,” says Hot Dish Advertising’s Executive Director of Client Services, Shelly Bythewood. In the first installment of her new video series, Shelly explores franchise brand differentiation. Keep reading to find out why this important piece of franchise marketing strategy is often neglected, and how you can use it to help your brand stand out from the crowd.
Why franchise brand differentiation gets overlooked
Too often, franchise brands lean on the obvious — menu items, services or features. But if your competitor could say the same thing, it’s not unique enough.
Shelly references Seth Godin’s Purple Cow concept: In a field of cows, a purple one stops you in your tracks. That’s the goal of effective franchise brand positioning — find the one thing no one else can own and make it central to your franchise marketing strategy.
And yet, many brands fall short.
According to Harvard Business Review, 64% of consumers say shared values are the main reason they have a relationship with a brand.* Still, countless franchise brands struggle to clearly define — and communicate — the values or differences that make them truly stand out.
RTBs: More than just features
Your Reasons to Believe (RTBs) aren’t just about what you sell. They’re the distinct, ownable truths that make your franchise brand believable and memorable.
Shelly shares an example from her own experience at a sandwich franchise. Initially, leadership assumed the best-selling sandwich was their RTB. But a deeper dive revealed their real differentiator: the sandwich’s round bun — something no other national competitor had. That insight became the core of their storytelling, restaurant design, and franchise consumer marketing.
How franchise brands should dig deeper
- Gather your team: CMOs, franchisees, ops leaders, consumers.
- Challenge assumptions: Once you land on an RTB, tear it apart. Is it truly unique? Can someone else claim it?
- Own it relentlessly: Your RTB should fuel both your consumer marketing and franchise development narratives.
Shelly encourages brands to challenge their assumptions – even when you think you’ve landed on your differentiator, it’s probably not quite there yet. “Once you think you have it, throw it out, and dig deeper.”
What’s next?
In the next video, Shelly will explore how to bring your RTBs to life through connected brand strategy and multi-channel activation. Because defining your RTBs is only half the battle: Making it famous is the rest.
Need help uncovering your brand’s RTBs?
Our team specializes in helping franchise brands define and activate their RTBs across franchise consumer marketing and franchise development marketing. Let’s talk.
