Why Brand Matters When Buying a Franchise
When you buy or invest in a franchise, one of the most important aspects of your purchase is the brand and how that is perceived by the public locally and nationally. Considered one of the most valuable assets a company owns, a brand is the business’s identifying symbol, mark, logo, name, word, and/or phrase/sentence that it uses to differentiate its product from those of other companies. When a company is closely associated with a valuable brand, it is considered to have brand equity – which means it is worth more in the marketplace.
Businesses work hard at building their brand, often deploying numerous marketing initiatives to publicly associate their mission, products, and services closely with those of their target customers. This helps the business build affinity with its audiences and boost sales because research has shown that people like to support and do business with companies that understand them and what is important to them.
Most important to building brand awareness is a company’s ability to publicize its commitment to its mission, customers, and community – all of which are key aspects of being a good corporate citizen and having a reputation for being that. Without the publicity aspect of branding, public perception of the company can be non-existent – which is a deterrent to making sales and, ultimately, business survival.
While there are many ways to accomplish this using both traditional media and social media. These are currently excellent strategies to flag examples of how a business defines itself and delivers on its branding. Both offer a key component of branding that traditional advertising does not: third party endorsement. This is when a business experiences recognition, approval, and validation that stems from those who see, hear, and approve of its activities – rather than blowing its own horn. When traditional media makes an example of a brand engaged in admirable activities, it is more powerful than a company talking about itself doing the same activities. When those on social media channels admire and comment on a brand for its posted activities and share the posts, a brand receives word of mouth recommendation and validation.
For example, College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving has become listed within the top 3% of all franchise opportunities in the United States by building its brand using these tactics and more. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, College HUNKS has continued to build brand awareness and reputation while increasing our number of franchise locations as we strengthen our national presence in the stress-free junk removal and moving space.
College HUNKS’ award-winning business plan is built around our brand as being values-based, purpose-driven, socially conscious, and tech-enabled. Having this branding and delivering on it with related activities has provided the foundation for many of our franchisees to both succeed with their business and have meaningful participation in their local communities at the same time. Many have found that they have become leaders in their communities even as they grow their own business by deploying useful and cost-effective strategies. They support these activities – as does our corporate office – with meaningful social media posts and traditional media appearances.
Check out the following examples of brand building, publicized activities, and how they result in increased brand awareness and customer affinity.
- College HUNKS is the moving partner for Military Makeover with Montel as part of its mission to give back to all of the communities where there are College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving locations. The popular show provides home renovations for veterans.
- College HUNKS also provides essential ongoing support for the national non-profit group Feeding Children Everywhere. For every completed job, we donate two meals to Feeding Children Everywhere, and in 2019, celebrated the million-meal mark with the following social media post.
- College HUNKS initiated another community service initiative during COVID-19 with the realization that domestic violence rates were skyrocketing during the pandemic, and help was needed. To support the efforts of shelters for domestic violence victims, College HUNKS committed to providing essential, no-cost moves to victims of abusive living situations through certified shelters.
- College HUNKS’ more than 130 franchisees operating nationwide also participate in their communities’ non-profit activities, like this fundraising event to support breast cancer awareness and finding a cure for the devastating illness.
Want to invest in a franchise with award-winning brand College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving?
College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving is the only full-service residential and commercial service company that offers moving, junk removal, donation pickups, and labor services in the United States as well as Canada. The concept came about in 2005 and today, we strive to be a symbol for high-quality moving and junk removal services that are fast, flexible, and dependable. We work hard but we love what we do and we are confident you will love being part of the College HUNKS team. There are currently franchise opportunities available in more than 400 franchise territories in the United States and Canada. Contact College HUNKS today to learn how you can have your own successful business that is part of a respected and meaningful brand.