Franchisees get extra help driving sales with limited time offers

Franchisees get extra help driving sales with limited time offers

After finding a brand partner and opening a new store, food franchise owners face the problem of keeping their menu relevant to customers. Even the tastiest entrees begin to lose their novelty after routine exposure, so franchisees are faced with the task of finding new ways to create buzz about their food. One way to accomplish this goal is by rotating new specials in and out of the menu, but this would be difficult given the resources of a single store. Thankfully, food franchisees can take advantage of their franchisor's latest limited time offers to keep customers anticipating their next visit.

LTOs hold special appeal with customers
There are many reasons why limited time offers make a great resource for franchisees. First, LTO products typically debut with a wide-reaching advertising campaign. Consumers are exposed to new options on a franchisee's menu long before they step through the door, thanks to print and television advertising blitzes. Limited time offers also appeal to a consumer's desire to try new experiences, and imparts a sense of urgency to customers by giving them a small window for trying out the new product. Successfully utilizing these concepts has helped quick-service franchise titans like Wendy's and Burger King attract new customers for decades.

Rapid deployment ideal for targeting trends
Franchisees not only take advantage of the cost-effective advertising and menu updates courtesy of the franchisor but also benefit from recent consumer trends. For example, consumer polling has recently revealed a continued interest in high-protein meals, according to Pizza Marketplace. In line with this data, food franchises have upped the meat quotient on their menu nationwide through limited time offer distribution. Arby's Mega Meat Stacks, for example, have recently popped up across the nation, providing Arby's franchisees with a timely resource for boosting revenues through a booming consumer trend.

With dedicated resources for marketing and advertising design, it doesn't take long for a franchise to spot and develop an advertising campaign surrounding a new consumer trend. Often, these trends are related to taste, so franchisors with a penchant for limited time offers have developed vetted strategies for efficiently and effectively promoting new products on a routine basis. These best methods provide franchisees with strategies for implement a rotating menu without confusing customers. The franchise model also protects franchisees from the risks associated with new menu items. Stores that don't sell the new item won't be penalized if the LTO is a flop across the brand.

More meaty LTOs in action
Illustrating the ability of the franchise model to react to consumer trends and leverage limited time offers, multiple popular franchises are mimicking Arby's menu expansion with protein-rich entrees of their own. Wendy's, a company that has earned notoriety for its commitment to driving franchise sales through LTOs, recently marketed sandwiches featuring pulled pork, reported USA Today. Likewise, Cousins Subs is bringing back its popular Steak Mushroom Swiss as a way of helping franchisees to ride the latest wave of meat-loving consumers, said QSR.