12 Businesses Share Their Biggest Marketing Wins, From A Social Media Scavenger Hunt To Lovable Mascot

A bully trading effort tin output each kinds of returns: More sales, overmuch customers, overmuch followers, overmuch customer engagement, aliases perchance overmuch worker engagement — which past translates to overmuch customer engagement. Franchises are mini businesses, aft all, truthful nan champion trading efforts often effect in-the-know, out-of-the-box reasoning connected what will resonate astir successful a fixed community. It's not astir really ample your money it; it's astir really overmuch your tally aliases arena gets group reasoning astir your business. Here, we said to a divers group of franchisees connected their astir effective ever trading efforts.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Crust Pizza Co.

1. Host an yearly family-friendly event.

"Every December, we large our highly-anticipated 'Grinch Takes Over' arena for 2 magical nights. A unrecorded Grinch characteristic roams nan restaurant, engaging pinch families, playing silly pranks, and posing for photos. He moreover judge onions from kids who recreation dressed arsenic mini Grinches themselves. We group up a ample projector for movie screenings, work emblematic kids' pizzas made pinch greenish dough, and proviso on-site photograph printing, giving families a memorable keepsake to return location — complete pinch our Crust Pizza branding, cleanable for nan fridge. We often personification lines retired nan door, and group extremity america astir municipality to show america really overmuch their kids loved nan event." — Jessie and Jason ParkeR, franchisees of Crust Pizza Co. successful Louisiana

Image Credit: Courtesy of YogaSix

2. Incentivize squad members to create content.

"The champion money we ever spent connected trading wasn't for ads aliases influencers; it was for coffee. We judge our squad members are nan existent powerhouse down organization awareness, truthful we created a Slack transmission wherever our squad tin upload point that captures nan reside of our studio: selfies, 'us-ies,' speedy videos, artsy shots, silly moments, coach tips, unit celebrations, memes, aliases fails. For each image aliases video we usage successful our societal campaigns, nan contributor gets a Starbucks aliases Peet's Coffee gift insubstantial — successful astonishment amounts. What started arsenic a nosy measurement to stitchery contented has transformed into a vibrant civilization of sharing and collaboration." — Toni King and Audrey RydeR, franchisees of YogaSix successful California and Nevada

Related: The 8 Rules to Live By successful Franchise Marketing, According to Top Franchise CMOs

Image Credit: Courtesy of Padget Business Services

3. Commission a photograph sprout of yourself connected nan job.

"At Padgett, we judge relationships are astatine nan bosom of taxation and accounting services. We proviso taxation and accounting services to Natalie, proprietor of Always Yours Bakery Cafe, and we recovered a maestro photographer done nan conception Chamber of Commerce directory to seizure our business successful action. Just $500 and an hr of clip resulted successful stunning images that replaced generic banal images connected our website, societal media channels, and Google Business Profile. They became nan centerpiece of a customer occurrence communicative highlighting Natalie's entrepreneurial journey, and elevated patient trading efforts, adding a furnishings of authenticity to brochures, presentations, and integer campaigns." — Shinji taniguchi, franchisee of Padgett Business Services successful California

Image Credit: Courtesy of DonutNV

4. Partner pinch patient connected conception disaster alleviation initiatives.

"Recently, I reached retired to DonutNV patient to partner connected disaster alleviation efforts for communities successful my territory of St. Pete, Florida, pursuing Hurricanes Milton and Helene. DonutNV jumped astatine nan chance, and I was supported pinch tin merchandise to work complete 4,000 residents of nan St. Pete area. Cofounder Alex Gingold really joined maine connected nighttime 1 of nan give-back efforts. The consequence to this inaugural was overwhelming, and we continued to proviso donations to conception schools, communities, and businesses complete nan pursuing weeks. We conscionable wanted to brighten nan clip of those who mislaid everything successful these hurricanes, and we are proud to proceed these efforts successful 2025." — Eric Koroknay, franchisee of DonutNV successful Florida

Related: Your Franchise Marketing Needs This Secret Weapon to Captivate and Convert

Image Credit: Courtesy of MaidPro

5. Set up a invited array astatine statement events.

"We effort to personification a beingness astatine conception events, mounting up a welcoming MaidPro array and shelter astatine each opportunity. Kids and adults alike are delighted by our popcorn machine, and we too relationship toys for children. We moreover spot fuzzy friends by making canine treats and a h2o crockery available. One of nan highlights of our setup is nan spinning wheel, wherever attendees tin triumph breathtaking prizes, including a free cleaning activity and various swag items. This not only promotes my business but too fosters a consciousness of statement spirit. The trading locomotion is adjacent to minimal and usually only includes nan costs of entry, but nan narration we make pinch our conception statement is priceless." — Julie SolLinger, franchisee of MaidPro successful Massachusetts

Image Credit: Courtesy of Huntington Learning Center

6. Don't count retired old-fashioned mailers.

"Direct connection continues to beryllium a cardinal driver of success. In June, I received a telephone from a mom arsenic her boy entered his elder year, saying she'd received our mailer and took it arsenic a mobility to springiness proceedings prep 1 past try. Her son's scores improved, and he's been accepted into his dream school. I judge consistency is cardinal — vibrant, colorful postcards pinch clear messaging spell retired monthly. The contented includes validated insights from reputable sources, emphasizing really standardized proceedings prep improves assemblage acceptance odds. In today's integer age, beingness connection stands retired arsenic a tangible measurement to nexus pinch parents often overwhelmed by online clutter." — Cara Murray, franchisee of Huntington Learning Center successful New Jersey

Related: How To Maximize Returns successful Franchise Digital Marketing

Image Credit: Courtesy of Ivybrook Academy

7. Get a memorable mascot.

"Ivy nan Owl has proven to beryllium a awesome instrumentality for Ivybrook Academy franchisees. This lovable mascot serves galore purposes, making it 1 of nan champion investments for boosting nan brand's visibility. As an pedagogue assistant, Ivy nan Owl brings joyousness and excitement to nan classrooms, helping children consciousness overmuch astatine easiness and engaged. Ivy helps make important announcements astatine events and provides a playful, attention-grabbing beingness for promotional campaigns. Ivy visits caller locations to return photos and builds anticipation for schoolhouse openings, arsenic bully arsenic representing america astatine events for illustration graduations and statement fairs. Students tin moreover recreation pinch Flat Ivy, a portable type of Ivy nan Owl that families tin return to different locations." — Jamie Smith Flatow, main trading serviceman of Ivybrook Academy

Image Credit: Courtesy of Clean Eatz

8. Partner pinch conception celebrities who emotion your product.

"Claudia Coffey, a conception TV personality, was a customer astatine our locations, truthful we projected creating a signature information inspired by her. This resulted successful nan Claudia Coffee, a triple espresso frappé pinch almond beverage and cocoa syrup. Claudia launched nan information connected her TV show, discussing her engaged mode and indirectly endorsing Clean Eatz, while too promoting it connected her societal media. While Clean Eatz paid for 3 on-air spots — 1 connected location and 2 in-studio, totaling $1,000 — Claudia's individual promotion was an extra, valuable boost. Claudia's target demographic aligns perfectly pinch ours—female, educated, 30 to 50 years aged — making her endorsement moreover overmuch impactful." — Matt Hall, franchisee of Clean Eatz successful Kentucky

Related: This Game-Changing Marketing Solution Will Give Your Franchise a Competitive Edge

Image Credit: Courtesy of SafeSplash Swim School

9. Bring buzzworthy guests to your events.

"In nan lead-up to nan Grand Opening of my location successful Knoxville, I was talking to a friend who had conscionable won a World Series title, and jokingly asked him, 'Why don't you bring nan trophy to nan event?' I was amazed erstwhile he replied, 'What time?' As an Olympian myself, I wanted nan arena to observe excellence successful each forms, truthful we too brought successful different Olympian to mobility autographs. These star-studded appearances generated unthinkable buzz. I learned not to beryllium excessively awkward to inquire — and overmuch importantly, that having point existent to marketplace astir is key. It is overmuch easier to make traction pinch your integer trading effort if location is simply a unsocial facet to your event." — Davis Tarwater, franchisee of SafeSplash Swim School successful Tennessee and South Carolina

Image Credit: Courtesy of Gong Cha

10. Come up pinch an interactive campaign.

"During our Peanuts-themed motorboat that featured our caller pumpkin pastry beverage beverage flavor, we wanted to bring It's nan Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to life successful a measurement that resonated pinch fans. So we collaborated pinch influencers for a nationwide scavenger hunt crossed six cities, wherever consumers had nan chance to find hidden pumpkins and triumph a play of free Gong cha. It was an absolute hit. The buzz astir nan arena was contagious, pinch customers eagerly sharing their pumpkin finds connected societal media. As a result, we saw double-digit income maturation incorrect nan first 2 weeks and a important uptick successful shop traffic. On nan media side, our tally generated complete 500,000 views, pinch exceptional engagement crossed channels." — Emily Lee, maestro franchisee of Gong cha

Related: Why Marketing Your Franchise Matters

Image Credit: Courtesy of HTeaO

11. Give distant merchandise for a bully cause.

"In May 2024, for 2 weeks, nurses and teachers crossed locations enjoyed 50% disconnected cups of beverage to admit their immense contributions. In Oklahoma City, we took our appreciation a measurement further, erstwhile our Tea Truck made stops astatine 2 hospitals and a precocious school. Each caregiver and coach received a free cup of tea, connected pinch a 'Certifiably Awesome' swag instrumentality filled pinch HTeaO goodies for illustration articulator balm, an powerfulness shot, and exclusive branded items. Over 1,000 free teas were served, and nan consequence was overwhelming. Beyond spreading marque consciousness and deepening statement relationships, this tally created customers for life." — Mackenzie Jewell, franchisee of HTeaO successful Oklahoma

Image Credit: Courtesy of CertaPro Painters

12. Launch an yearly feel-good kindness campaign.

"During our 'Paint it Pink' campaign, successful business pinch nan Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Breast Cancer Canada, franchisees committedness to donate a percent of each coating task completed betwixt October and November. They too rally down nan root done pages connected their websites, trading materials, and societal media campaigns. The astir breathtaking measurement franchisees get progressive is by donning agleam pinkish cogwheel and teaming up pinch conception businesses. Think pinkish crystal prime shops, pinkish java houses, pinkish offices, and moreover 'pinked-out' authorities clubs! If it tin beryllium painted, it's going pink. Since nan campaigns, Paint it Pink has raised $555,000 — balanced to backing 11,000 hours of groundbreaking research." — Mike Stone, CEO of CertaPro Painters

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