THE SIMULTANEOUS USE OF VARIOUS COMMUNICATION MEANS BY FRANCHISORS: INSIGHTS FROM THE SUBWAY CASE
Abstract
In a more and more competitive environment, franchisors have to simultaneously use various communication means in order to attract the prospective franchisees. The main objective of this paper is to explore the following question: “What kinds of communication means can be used by the franchisors to attract and appeal the prospective franchisees?” In this perspective, we propose an innovative approach for thinking about communication compared to the traditional one: media vs. non media communication. It deals with push communication, pull communication and communication relayed by influencers. Moreover, a special focus is made on the use of the Web 2.0. The case of Subway, one of the biggest franchising networks in the world, specialized in sandwiches, enables to illustrate these various communication means. Managerial implications aiming to help franchisors to appear more attractive than competitors vis-à-vis potential franchisees are also discussed.