Franchisor Marketing

How to Get Your Franchise in Franchise Times.
An Interview with Managing Editor Nancy Weingartner
 Franchise Times is the leading franchise industry print publication, with a readership of more than 20,000 franchise company owners, executives, manager, individual and multi-unit franchise owners, prospective franchise owners, vendors and service providers to the franchise industry.  Franchise Marketing’s Sean Kelly asked FT Managing Editor Nancy Weingartner what every franchisor wants to know:  how they can get much-valued exposure in Franchise Times.
 

SK:  Franchise Times has really grown and matured in the past few years.  FT not only seemed to gain a stronger readership and advertising base, but has developed a more distinctive voice and cohesive style.  Who are Franchise Times readers, and what benefits are they gaining through their monthly reading of Franchise Times?
  
NW: We like to think that anyone who’s serious about franchising reads our publication—from franchisors and their staff to multi-unit franchisees to suppliers, such as lawyers and consultants. We try to entertain, inform and educate. In addition to success stories and profiles on companies, we include experts’ advice on how to run your business more efficient, what works, what doesn’t.  
  
 SK: Many readers of FranchiseMarketing.Com are franchisors or franchisees who would love to be featured in the editorial pages of Franchise Times.  What criteria do you use in choosing the companies you cover?  What sorts of stories are you, and your readers, interested in?
 
NW: Every year we set up an editorial calendar that breaks down franchising into specific categories, such as chain restaurants in May or health and beauty in November/December. We’re interested in trends and companies that are doing innovative things. We don’t run stories on new products or donations to charities because everyone is doing something along those lines (or should be). We like the unique, quirky and unusual. We are also interested in successful franchisees or franchisors who are doing noteworthy things. For instance, we’ve done a story on a lawyer who is an avid collector of franchise memorabilia via eBay auctions and a Christian businessman who looks at helping people through franchising as his mission project.
  
 SK:  What’s the best way for a franchise company to “pitch” their story to Franchise Times?  What format and method should they use to submit their information (Email?  Fax?  Mail?)  Should they follow up?  How often?  What can they do to increase their chances of success?
 

NW:  The best way is to send a short e-mail message with a file attached with background information. Tell us why you’re different or how you’ve solved a problem others could learn from. While a follow-up phone call is good—it puts a real person behind the e-mail—be careful not to bug too much. Sometimes the lead time on stories is immediate, other times it may take a couple of months for an editor to decide to follow up on something. Always be polite and respectful of the editors’ time and acknowledge that you know he or she receives a lot of requests. One thing to definitely not do is to get snippy with editors or demanding. Remember people like doing business with people they like, and that goes for editors, too—we like writing stories about people we like. So be yourself.  Don’t try to force a relationship.  I’ve had people call me every month with an update on their pitch, and, in many cases, I got around to doing the story because they captured my imagination.
  
SK:  What are the worst mistakes companies make in pitching their stories to the press?  Are there any particular “pet peeves” that turn off editors and writers in general?  At Franchise Times in particular?
  
NW:  Being too aggressive, or acting like we’re stupid because we don’t think your concept is the next McDonald’s are round-file actions. The most important thing is to be forthright—expect to answer some questions that aren’t from Pollyanna. Too often, people will pitch a story and then get upset because it’s not turning out the way they envisioned it. PR companies do promotional pieces, not magazines or newspapers. Reporters want balanced stories, that are objective and fair. We also want colorful quotes, not something that sounds canned. No one expects a company to be perfect.  Be honest about the problems you’ve faced and how you solved them. People like to read about real issues and real people who beat the odds. Plus, readers know when something sounds bogus—if it sounds too much like PR, they won’t believe it.
  
SK:  Be honest:  Are unsolicited press releases and queries a useful source of story ideas, or a pain in the neck? 
  
NW:  They’re useful, if the sender has looked at what we cover. For instance, sending Franchise Times a press release about your new chicken sandwich is a waste of time, because we don’t cover that. The biggest compliment you can give an editor or reporter is to know what they write about, and only pitch ideas they might be interested in. For instance, I had a PR person tell me, “I know you like quirky subjects, so I saved this pitch for you…” Which brings up another point, don’t pitch the same exact story to every publication. Editors don’t like the idea of the story they’ve worked so hard on appearing in their competition the same month, or worse, the month before.
  
SK:  Do you have any general (or specific) advice to new or smaller franchise companies on how they can best spread the word about their unique franchise opportunities?
 
NW:  Read the publications you want to see your story in. Look for a trend in your industry and then find a way to pitch that story with you as the expert or one of the examples. Editors love numbers, top 10 lists, and people stories. Even though I said I preferred e-mails, sometimes sending something by regular mail will stand out, because my in-basket is often empty and my e-mail is full.
 

SK:  Thanks, Nancy.
 

Contact information:
 Franchise Times2808 Anthony Lane S.
Mpls, MN 55418612-767-3200 (main)1-800-528-3296