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The Franchise industry is enormous, with an international presence and the availability of substantial capital resources. It becomes difficult for standard restaurants to enter into competition with these franchises, especially regarding marketing.
For this purpose, they need special Public Relations (PR) agencies. However, certain misconceptions need to be dispelled when selecting a PR agency.
PR Agencies are Expensive
There is a misconception that most PR firms are giant corporate conglomerates with equally big price tags on their services. While this may be true in some instances, not all public relations firms are alike.
PR agencies offer various services, which are not limited to marketing only. Typical services a PR firm offers are media relations, social media marketing, crisis management, talking points for guest appearances, award entries, thought leadership, speaking engagement planning, employee training, and other customized options.
Their prices may vary accordingly based on what area of expertise you are looking for support for.
Do it Yourself Syndrome
Just because a restaurant owner is a pro at posting about their garden on Facebook doesn’t mean they are equally as skilled in posting relevant business content where their target demographic is found. Food photography and posting food-specific content on social media is an expertise that requires special training and skill.
Most restaurant owners think that not only can they do it themselves, but they tend to ignore the skills required for that task.
As part of an overall marketing strategy, public relations services can go far toward keeping a brand top of mind and recruiting prospective franchisees who seek an opportunity with a credible presence and a comprehensive marketing approach.
Small Businesses do not need PR Agency
Another common misconception, especially among small restaurants, is that they think their sales have not reached the level where they would need a PR agency.
However, they ignore the significance of marketing and PR in the inception years of the business. It is the early period in which a restaurant can build its brand.
The restaurant industry is said to be risky only because the majority of restaurants fail in their first year. Most of these failures have this misconception of not engaging experts in their early period; instead, they wait to reach a certain level before venturing into critical business plan areas.