expanding your brand into the UK
Your local partner for international expansion
The UK is a great place to expand your business internationally: no franchise-specific legislation, a common language and, on face value, a similar culture.
But doing it successfully requires a lot more than simply turning your Zs into Ss and rolling out the same strategy that got you where you are now; just ask Best Buy or Wendy’s (third time lucky? Watch this space).
Here are some things to know to deliver the best possible ROI on your UK expansion investment.
Strategy
You’ll need research, positioning and targeting that talk squarely to UK consumers, combined with an in-depth understanding of how and where that market is different than your own.
Adjusting on the fly is a lot more expensive and inefficient that creating a comprehensive, well-thought-out strategy before you spend even one of your marketing dollars on comms.
“The team at Chantry offer a unique blend of marketing expertise and a deep understanding of the franchise industry. This has allowed them to integrate seamlessly with our internal team to drive project success as they already ‘get it’.
“As a bonus, they are great people who are a pleasure to work with!”
Dylan Powell
VP International Development
Mary Brown’s Chicken
Objectives
“Success” is defined differently by every brand. That’s why every campaign starts with goals, which should be agreed with someone who knows the market and the potential better than you do right now. We thrive under pressure, but your goals need to be achievable as well as stretchy.
Messaging
A biggie. There are huge similarities between the UK and North American markets; there are some whopping differences too. Us Brits are pretty cynical by nature, and much more averse to ‘sell, sell, sell!’ messages than our transatlantic friends.
Think toning down the rhetoric, shrinking the CTAs, and whoa there on slating the competition!
Simply replicating your domestic messaging is as likely to turn off as turn on over here. The tweaks you need may be subtle, but the social and cultural differences you might not realise exist can be game-changing when you get them right.
Content
One of the classic mistakes we see time and again: even the north and south of our little island can’t always agree on terminology and language, so look out if you’re leading with Americanisms! We also like sarcasm and self-deprecation much more than across the pond in our marketing.
Localisation is imperative if you’re to thrive here, while of course remaining true to your brand’s roots.
Channels
The very least you should be demanding from any local partner is watertight knowledge of the marketing and media landscape. Yes, you’ll still need to test what works and where; but no, you shouldn’t be spending tens of thousands on finding out where your audience are absolutely not hanging out.
How Chantry can help you expand to the UK
Sometimes, we are the marketing department, from strategy to copy to visuals. Outsourced, trusted, kept under pressure to perform, and reporting back on what’s happening, with ideas for improvements.
Other times we have more of a sounding board role, helping localise existing brand content and creating & implementing plans alongside the home office or master franchisee(s).
With a team of specialist marketing experts in every discipline, we’re confident we can work with you to create the solution to your expansion needs. The first step is to get in touch with us below, so we can find out more about your project.
Then the fun of figuring us Brits out really begins…
