Grand Opening Marketing Plan

Grand Opening Marketing Plan

Grand Opening Marketing Plan Example

prepared by E.H. Anderson PR, 2017

Introduction:

As a franchise owner, the benefits of marketing are critical to your success.  Before we get into specifics, here are a few quick tips regarding your marketing plan:

  • Pick the items that work best for you, your prospects, and your budget;
  • Introduce your business to the community,
  • Ask customers how they heard about you so you know what marketing strategies are working and not;
  • Get a good understanding of local marketing and advertising requirements.

A grand opening isn’t a one-time event. A grand opening includes the things you do during the weeks before you open and sustaining your plan in the months after you open.

Some important items to remember when setting up your marketing plan:

    • As a franchise owner, you are required to spend a minimum of 10% of your quarterly inventory and supply expenditures on approved local marketing and advertising.
    • As a franchise owner, you will be entitled to use the franchise logo(s).  When you use the logo for your marketing materials be sure you conform to the specifications of the marks owned by the franchisor.  You must maintain the integrity of the logo.

If you are not sure or need assistance with these matters, please call the corporate office.

Phase One: Prepare Marketing Materials and Plan Before Opening Your Business

  1. Know your Grand Opening Marketing budget
    • Be realistic when making plans

B. Know your Prospective Customer

1. Commercial customers

    • Who is your customer (Demographics)
    • What’s your message to commercial customers?
    • Resources for prospecting (Chamber of Commerce list, property management companies)

2. Residential customers

    • Who is your customer (Demographics)
    • What’s your message to residential customers?
    • Resources for prospecting (church/school directories)
    • Referrals from Friends

C.  Know your Competitors

D. Free Online Marketing – Get listed and verified

    • Google My Business, Bing Business Listings, and Yahoo Business Listings
    • Make your listing complete and include photos of work.

E. Advertising — Convey your message to your prospective customer

    • Research print, radio, TV ad rates (Print Directory advertising is expensive and most people search the internet nowadays)
    • Call the ad reps and build relationships
    • Compare pricing and ratings/circulation
    • Purchase ads if budget allows

Refer to your operations manual in the Advertising Media Section for more information.

F. Consider a Direct Mail piece if you have a mailing list of your target prospect(s)

G. Get your marketing collateral in place.

    • Business Cards are a must and the initial set is free from corporate.  Business cards must be purchased as part of your franchise set up, so get this done as soon as possible.
    • Business Cards are an integral part of your marketing plan.  Keep them with you at all times as you never know when you will have the opportunity for getting the next job.
    • Purchase a 4 x 6 banner to display at events (and in your shop if you have a storefront.)

H.  Be sure to order your door hangers from corporate.  Business XYZ has a brochure that can be customized for your local business for a fee.  Contact corporate for pricing.

J.  Corporate can prepare proofs along with a presentation of a prospective customer.

    • Truck and Trailer wraps are great marketing tools. Refer to your operations manual for vehicle specifications and signage.
    • When you are ready to order your wrap, contact corporate, and have the make and model of your vehicle information available to obtain specific pricing.

II. Phase Two: Sustaining Marketing After Your Business Opens

A. Referral Program.  Sample/Template gift certificate can be customized for a small fee.  Contact corporate to obtain the template for gift certificates.

B. Get involved in community

    • Join the Chamber of Commerce (Consider a ribbon cutting at the Chamber)
    • Join other organizations
    • Attend events and network, network, network
    • Offer yourself as the keynote speaker at the Rotary or Lions Club; don’t be a :15 minute commercial about your business, but talk about trends in signage or landscaping; you’ll be perceived as the Expert.
    • Visit local home contractors and landscapers.  Introduce yourself and have brochures, binders with pictures, and of course, a business card.
    • Look for local events such as Parade of Homes, Showcase houses, Farmers Markets to display your business.

C. Get testimonials from customers in writing

D. Customer Surveys (in writing or Survey Monkey which has a free option, but email addresses are needed or you can post the survey on your FB page).  Corporate has the sample survey available.

E. Other ideas

    • Community Sponsorships (5K run, etc)
    • FB postings weekly; Boost posts
    • Take lots of photos for FB and biz listings
    • Continually build your prospect database of addresses and emails
    • Giveaways to non-profits (good PR)
    • Public Relations — hook your business into the news  — or event — of the day
    • Quarterly email newsletter to customer and projects of recent projects (Mail Chimp is free)
    • Handwritten Thank You notes to customers and/or Holiday Cards to clients.
    • Wear your logo shirts when out as this is marketing your business.  You never know who you’ll talk to and get as a customer as a result.
    • Refer to the Sales and Marketing and Advertising Sections of the Operations Manual for more ideas.
    • Yard signs after the jobs are completed.  Be sure to get your customer’s permission and offer to come to get the sign after the agreed-upon time frame to advertise.

Last but not least, always ask customers how they heard about you so you know what is working and what is not.