5 Ways Planet Smoothie Marketing Helps Franchisees Grow

Marketing plan and toolkit, templates, rewards programs, promotional items, grand opening initiatives support franchise owners

Having access to a strong marketing plan and resources is one advantage when working within a franchise system. Marketing, when performed correctly, can help your business grow more quickly and sustain growth after several years in operation. When franchisees are asked what they love best about Planet Smoothie’s support, one answer they’ll give is marketing.

“With the Planet Smoothie franchise, there is strong brand recognition provided through corporate marketing programs that I could never have done all on my own,” says Keith Lehmann, a franchisee in Winter Park, Florida. “We do five promotions a year, and it’s all done with professional materials. The national advertising fund provides window panels, menu boards and counter mats. They have also done all product procurement and product testing for you. And with food, where you have to wonder about the nutritionals, as well? I would have to find a lab to test them. That is all stuff corporate does for you.”

Here are some of the major things we do to help franchisees grow their businesses:

1. Planet Smoothie franchise has a comprehensive marketing plan and toolkit to help franchisees stay on top of their marketing, analyze what their competitors are doing, identify potential community partnerships for a broader base and identify likely customers.

2. We also provide a wealth of templates that franchisees can use for their local marketing, as well as graphic design resources that franchisees can tap into to create materials that support their markets.

3. The Planet Smoothie franchise has developed rewards programs that engage customers and encourage repeat business, along with attracting friends of repeat customers. Forty-two percent of our customers come to Planet Smoothie at least once a week, and a significant number of customers stop in every day — sometimes twice!

We also provide coupons and outreach strategies tailored to each audience. Franchisees can offer several types of rewards to keep customers coming back: bounce-back coupons for discounts off their next smoothie, same-day incentives for customers who order in the morning and return in the evening, a rewards card program that provides a free smoothie on a customer’s 11th visit, and more.

4. The Planet Smoothie franchise also works with franchisees to develop limited-time-only menu options throughout the year. We talk to franchisees and assess customer surveys to identify health trends and develop menu items designed to excite repeat customers with new options. Promotional items encourage customers to try more things and visit more often, and they help increase sales. At the same time, promotional items create fresh marketing opportunities for stores, and they also give Planet Smoothie a chance to identify breakout hits that should be added to the regular menu.

5. We also provide assistance in planning and executing your grand opening marketing initiative. Whether your store is the first in a new area or is in a region where Planet Smoothie is already well-known, this is an essential step in getting your store known and visited by those in your community.

“Our franchisor is extremely good about using marketing dollars to help us get the word out about Planet Smoothie in the community and nationwide,” says Karen Hendrix, a co-franchise owner in Suwanee, Georgia. “I’ve talked to people in other franchise systems, and I know that it isn’t always as good as what we have. Our team does everything they can to help us be more successful.”

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Planet Smoothie sets itself apart by offering great-tasting smoothies that use healthier, natural ingredients. In a side-by-side comparison, our smoothies generally have less sugar and fewer calories — a big competitive advantage as Americans actively seek healthier options. We are led by a team of veteran franchise executives who have helped build other iconic brands, including Mail Boxes Etc., and we leverage more than 100 years of combined franchising experience to provide outstanding support to franchisees.

For in-depth details about the Planet Smoothie franchise opportunity, download our free franchise report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages.