Marketing a new business can be a daunting prospect for many first-time business owners and franchisees. Home Caring has eased the challenge by raising the role and impact of its marketing across national and local levels to ensure franchisees have the best chance of success.

Mitchell McBeath, Home Caring’s head of customer and growth, says “We’re a franchisee-driven business. It’s all about the balance of corporate branded marketing activity and what we then do from a local area marketing perspective.”

Home Caring optimises core channels for its brand-oriented corporate level marketing. It’s the four-strong marketing team’s role to ensure consumers are aware of the brand, and considering it as a provider with a difference, Mitchell says.

Good support starts with a framework

Franchisees commonly use frameworks provided by the franchisor for local area marketing: letter box drops, newspaper ads, social media, local promotions.

“For us it’s about a structure for franchisee success,” he says. “We provide all of the frameworks to be successful because not everyone is a marketing expert. It’s perfectly reasonable as a new business owner to ask, ‘What are the packs and info I need? What’s the training so I can articulate the offer to market in a concise and effective way’?”

At Home Caring the marketing team provides guidance, documentation and training to distill the messages in local markets – but with a difference.

“Our role is to set guidelines for what great can look like and we have a team of marketers and business development members who work with each franchisee for different strategies,” Mitchell says.

“We don’t set local area marketing benchmarks because we tailor each strategy to individual markets.”

Home Caring provides a variety of programs it can adjust to market dynamics. These community programs engage existing clients, and bring businesses and communities together.

“We want to make sure we are seen in communities, and we have a point of difference in facilitating this,” Mitchell says. “As a brand marketer I know most clients are against a corporate feel in communications. We rely on franchisees, and give them the flexibility, to tap into the local dynamic. We don’t want to be seen as a brand booking things from 300-400 km away.”

The customised approach means the marketing team spends considerable time translating and adjusting language to suit particular demographics. It’s crucial to ensure any community activity is on target for its audience.

“We want to check our communications make sense to the specific market,” Mitchell says.

Bringing the brand into the community

Local area marketing programs include external events, which Home Caring rigorously plans and executes.

“In one of our programs we take clients to a local venue to hear from other health professionals and businesses. This is an educational and thought provoking event, and we then provide a nice lunch.”

With the aim of “surprising and delighting” clients with tailored events, Home Caring franchisees might choose to tap into another program, a zoo visit or a bingo session.

“Another example of our programs is a business meet-up with professionals talking about different health topics such as clinical changes or how providers can better service communities. 

“Competitive providers come along, which we welcome. This is not just a brand message, it’s about sharing thoughts and opinions across the community,” Mitchell reveals.

Home Caring is heavily committed to these events. It has 48 community programs across the country within two months.

The sales team work with franchisees to roll out the community-based programs and most bring home care industry experience and connections.

Home Caring delivers marketing support with a consistent message

The franchisor’s approach to local area marketing is to provide a consistent message to the market, to the franchise owner, and to the broader team.

“At a corporate level we do all of the heavy lifting with them but franchisees need to push out the message. It is the same person who communicates with the client who delivers the care plan or changes the work shift. We’re very transparent with that,” he says.

“It is fair and reasonable if you are a new business owner, that you need support.”

Some franchisees have built up their own social media presence and like to operate this element of marketing themselves. However, most Home Caring franchisees are happy for the corporate team to run their social accounts. 

“We use tools and technology to manage local accounts but we give franchisees the framework and support to provide thought-provoking content,” Mitchell says.

“If you’ve invested in a franchise, it’s ok to not know who to speak to or where to start,” Mitchell emphasises.

Home Caring focuses on providing robust franchisee support and its local area marketing strategy delivers the goods for local franchisees to be successful as they can.