Are you aware that the worldwide franchise wave is heavily influenced by advertising propaganda and slogans? Let's take McDonald's with their "I'm Lovin it", KFC with the slogan "it's finger lickin' good" (before it was finally removed when the pandemic hit), or Mixue with "Share sweetness - spread happiness", a slogan that just consists of these few words and is able to hypnotize many people around the world. Slogans are not only a corporate identity, but also a message to be conveyed so that the product is imprinted in the minds of the audience. However, of course, you think that price competition is one of the factors that the franchise can survive.
But let's take the case of Starbucks. In some countries, Starbucks is a product that is quite pricey, but it is still very popular. Slogans can create a relationship between the product and the public through emotion. So that the public becomes attached to the slogan in the hope that they will feel or contribute to something good when they buy the product. Like Starbucks with its slogan: "To inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.
It is also undeniable that the quality and taste of this franchise's products cannot be doubted. They continue to innovate. But let's talk about something else. How many of the above franchise commercials have you seen or even remember? For those of you who are K-drama lovers, you are of course familiar with Subway. A brand that has been featured in many K-dramas. Or, who remembers the Domino's Pizza commercials that boomed after starring top South Korean actors? Then, of course, there is McDonald's, whose iconic commercials you often see, especially when a country's major holidays are approaching.
As in Asia itself, which has many cultures, McDonald's has promoted "Think Global, Act Local" by presenting advertisements when the month of Ramadan, Eid and Christmas are approaching in several countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Presenting an interesting advertisement can be a special experience for the public because advertising can build intimacy. Advertisements can build memories of the audience's past, or even embody the memories that the audience wants to build. As in the cases mentioned, through advertising, the audience also feels that they can reach the products that their idols eat.
However, if we try to find a correlation between all of this, the root cause of the spread and dynamism of this franchise is globalization. Products that were previously only available from door to door or from family businesses can now grow rapidly thanks to digitalization in many ways. Information is now easily accessible to everyone. So, franchise continues to innovate in various ways, not only presenting a new menu, but also presenting attractive and iconic marketing.
In addition, if you look at the market opportunities, many countries in Asia have huge market potential. Call it India, China and Indonesia, which have the largest population in the world. By taking advantage of the ease of information and market opportunities, the above franchises can take advantage of marketing as a means of increasing franchises. Indeed, their products are also able to compete in terms of quality and price, but the impact will be quite large if they are not balanced with attractive advertising. Thus, attractive marketing can be the most effective way to expand a business.
In fact, there are so many food brands in the world, but only a few of them can innovate and continue to attract the attention of consumers. This is inextricably linked to the above points. In Asia itself, of course, you often see brands from the above franchises in many corners of cities in your country.
Do you realize how many of you buy the above product because you were interested in the menu presented or because of the advertisements and slogans? There's nothing wrong with that. However, ads and slogans play an important role in a product because they can convey messages and build intimacy. And it is human nature for someone to try something out of curiosity. So which product is your favorite?
Reference:
Didy, Irene. Strategi Branding: Arti, Elemen, Manfaat, Cara Melakukan, Contohnya. Glints.com
Light, Larry. Brand Relevance: The Strategy Behind “I’m lovin’ it”. Branding Strategy Inside.com
Tagline vs. Slogan: What's the Difference and Why Are They Important?. Indeed.com
