The 8 | October 27, 2017

1. Frantastic: It’s hard to compete with KFC when it comes to going viral. We talked about its rap battle with Wingstop a few weeks ago, and now the brand is back with another strategy that has caught the attention of the internet. About a month ago, KFC quietly cleared out all of the accounts that it followed on Twitter and replaced them with six guys named Herb and all five of the Spice Girls. Once a fan noticed the move and pointed out that it represents the brand’s secret recipe—which is made up of 11 herbs and spices—it became an instant hit.

2. Franlebrity: Since first throwing himself into the franchising industry in the early 2000s, Solcioty Fitness’ Chief Development Officer David Wheeler has developed a passion for the business model. This week’s Franlebrity—who’s featured as one of 1851’s Franchise Development Players—has worn a lot of hats in the industry, from marketing roles to his current position as the head of development for the heart rate monitored, high-intensity, interval training emerging concept. What inspires Wheeler to continue growing alongside the franchising industry is the level of collaboration that takes place within a brand’s system.

3. Frash Money: Restaurant concepts looking to make more Frash Money may want to consider adding baked goods to their menus. Baked goods in limited-service restaurants have grown by eight percent over the past two years. However, it’s not enough to throw them on a menu and hope they sell themselves. There needs to be a creative marketing strategy behind the items to ensure that customers are completing a purchase.

4. Frant of the Week: Can you be a great father and a great businessman? That’s the question that No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills asks in his Frant this week. There are three key similarities in human qualities that are important in different ways for both: knowledge, hustle and kindness. And even though executing on those three qualities both personally and professionally can be a challenging thing to balance, when effort is put in, it’s possible to be a great parent while excelling in your career.

5. Franch Forward: In order for brands to enhance franchisee sales success, they need to have a strong corporate team. That’s why MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes* is beefing up its executive team with a new Vice President of Operations and a Vice President of Training and People Development. By leveraging the specialized skills and talents of every member of its system, the brand is positioning itself for growth down the line.

6. Fran Funny: Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road? He didn’t have the guts.

7. Franspiration: “I’d like to see more effort to educate the public on what franchising is and to educate potential investors on the basic tenets of the franchise agreement and the expectations of a franchisor-franchisee relationship.” – Doug Wong, Senior Director of Global Franchise Development at Denny’s

8. Franemies vs. Frands: Facebook is looking to make new Frands by allowing users to order food without ever leaving the app. The social network recently unveiled its in-platform food delivery service that aggregates existing services like Delivery.com, DoorDash and EatStreet. The program is already available across the U.S. on desktops as well as iOS and Android apps.