Building a Modern Franchise Brand in 2026 — Standing Out in Crowded Categories

Wing Snob President Brian Shunia does not think differentiation starts with a marketing campaign. For him, it starts with the experience a customer has with the brand, from the food they order to the service they receive and whether that experience is consistent the next time they visit.

"In a crowded category, the product gets you noticed, but the total experience is what makes you memorable," Shunia said. For Wing Snob, that experience includes the food itself, consistency from one visit to the next, hospitality and convenience.

That only works if the brand can make the experience consistent across locations. Franchisees need to know what the brand is supposed to feel like, but they also need the systems to deliver it. "True differentiation is not just a creative logo, menu item or marketing campaign," Shunia said.

Customers Can Tell You What Makes You Different

Shunia said brands can learn what makes them different by listening to customers, franchisees and frontline employees. He looks at what customers compliment, what they recommend to friends and what brings them back. Franchisees and frontline employees can provide the same kind of feedback.

For Wing Snob, that feedback pointed to a mix of bold flavors, a made-to-order product, hospitality and a brand personality that avoids feeling corporate. Shunia said Wing Snob tries to keep that personality consistent across the menu, restaurant design, social media and packaging.

The message also has to be simple. If it takes several paragraphs to explain what makes a brand different, customers probably won't remember it. Shunia said franchisees should be able to explain that difference in their own words, too.

Where Brands Go Wrong

Shunia said one common mistake is assuming differentiation has to be complicated. Adding products, promotions or messages simply to appeal to more people can make a concept harder to understand and harder to operate.

Chasing competitors creates a similar problem. Reacting to every move another brand makes can pull a concept away from its own customers. For Wing Snob, he said, decisions are based on its customers and where the brand wants to go.

Marketing can bring a customer in once, Shunia said, but product quality, hospitality and consistency decide whether that customer returns. For Wing Snob, customers have to notice differentiation for themselves. The food, service and overall experience have to back up whatever the brand says about itself.

Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and see what we can do for you.