Franchising brand benefits: An integrative perspective

Abstract

Despite significant advances in the study of B2B branding, including several contributions and special issues in this journal, the specificities of franchising, a subfield of B2B relationships, dictate further investigation. In effect, the franchise branding literature remains largely fragmented and dependent on data from a single stakeholder source. This paper attempts an integrative view of franchise branding by examining brand benefits from three theoretical perspectives (brand as a resource, brand as knowledge, and brand as a relationship fulcrum) and data from two stakeholders. Specifically, the objective of this paper is threefold: to offer a comprehensive view of brand benefits for franchisees, as perceived by both franchisees and franchisors, and considering their evolution throughout the franchise relationship lifecycle. 37 interviews with franchisees (n = 22) and franchisors (n = 15) reveal diverse brand benefits, including new insights related, for instance, to experiential benefits which have received very limited attention in B2B branding. The study also unveils significant perceptual gaps, with franchisors having a much narrower view of brand benefits than franchisees, which could potentially be detrimental for this subtype of B2B brands. Based on the findings, we also develop a tool that helps franchisors manage their brand benefits (i.e. deploy, emphasize or downplay individual benefits) over the lifecycle of their relationship with each franchisee.