Running a local franchise business requires a broad skillset. From day-to-day operations management, customer service, accounting and business planning, to HR, inventory control and facilities management—franchise business owners wear many different hats. For many franchisees, one hat that never seems to fit quite right is that of marketer.

That’s not to say that franchisees lack an understanding of the importance of marketing and promotion to the success of their business. In fact, in a recent survey of franchise SMBs by local media researcher BIA/Kelsey, franchise owners reported more than half of their business is derived from promotions.

Tags: localized marketing, marketing productivity, marketing resource management, local marketing automation, franchise, streamline marketing, scale local marketing, franchise marketing software, getting franchises to do marketing campaigns, turnkey marketing campaign, local marketing resource management

If you’ve been managing your creative projects with IBM’s Marketing Operations OnDemand (MOOD) system, previously known as Unica Marketing Operations OnDemand, you might be feeling abandoned since IBM announced it plans to end support for the product on June 30, 2017.

Instead of feeling abandoned, how about feeling supported? Vya has a great alternative for MOOD users. Our Vya creative production systems enable users to seamlessly route, approve and track progress on creative projects. Even better, we just announced a new release of the system with an upgraded user experience and enhanced reporting capabilities.

Tags: creative production management, MRM, marketing resource management

Branch employees are the face and voice of your company to local communities. Engaging local branches and ensuring they use appropriately branded and compliant marketing material is a challenge that can seem insurmountable. It’s essential to achieve the right balance between empowering branches to reach local audiences with relevant messages and the clear need for oversight in order to maintain compliance and brand consistency.

Tags: brand consistency, marketing resource management, legal and regulatory compliance, financial services marketing, streamline marketing, marketing platform

Often we are approached by companies that are experiencing tremendous growth. Sometimes it’s a bank that has made an acquisition and is in the process of integrating many new bank branches into their corporation. Other times it’s a franchisor who has many new locations under construction or has several new franchisees under contract. It’s exciting to be part of a growing business; but it can also be stressful, especially for the corporate marketing department.

Tags: localized marketing, marketing productivity, marketing resource management, local marketing automation, franchise, financial services marketing, scale local marketing, franchise marketing software

Marketing collateral materials are an important prospect touchpoint: In a matter of seconds, they create a brand impression, convey your product or service’s unique value proposition, and ideally capture the prospect’s interest. Marketers invest a significant amount of resources in developing marketing materials. However, all too often these materials go under-utilized or unused by Sales, and tons of outdated printed pieces end up being thrown out.

Tags: marketing ROI, print on demand, marketing resource management, marketing asset management, marketing systems, marketing resource management ROI, sales support, sales and marketing alignment, print management, marketing hub

Overseeing brand consistency in communications with customers and prospects can be challenging for any organization, and especially challenging in a distributed marketing model. When going to market with a large, disperse sales force - including agents, branches, franchises or dealers - brand consistency across these channels is critical. Even details that may seem subtle, such as logo size, brand colors and the tone of messaging can dramatically impact how your organization is perceived.

Tags: brand consistency, marketing resource management, distributed marketing

The onset of the Digital Age has added layers of complexity to the challenges faced by marketing leaders. For those in a distributed marketing environment, where corporate marketing and local sales channels simultaneously represent a single brand, the increase in complexity is exponential.

Tags: marketing resource management, local marketing, distributed marketing

Making a local connection can be a good way to capture your audience’s attention. But, how do you effectively adapt your content to local buyers and markets? Below are some tactical steps for localized marketing.

Tags: localized marketing, marketing resource management, local marketing, distributed marketing

As many marketing professionals know, the marketing management process often gets bogged down in redundant, routine tasks. These tasks, such as tracking down approvals, locating collateral, managing budgets, do little to help you achieve corporate goals. To really make an impact on the business, marketers need to identify opportunities to automate insignificant tasks to free up time for strategic endeavors. Marketing resource management (MRM) systems are one example of a technology designed to optimize marketing workflow. Here’s your guide to opportunities for optimizing your marketing management process.

Tags: brand management, campaign management, marketing resource management, local marketing, marketing operations, distributed marketing, marketing management process

“Dear Sir or Madam…”

In the days before technology made it easier to personalize correspondence, it would be common to get several pieces of mail addressed to “sir or madam” or “resident” on any given day.

However, technology like marketing resource management systems has changed this. Savvy marketers can do more than customize the name of the person receiving the note. They can also tailor messages and images, both digitally and in print.

Tags: insurance, direct mail marketing, marketing resource management, personalized marketing