The 8 | January 25, 2019

1. Frantastic: So, you signed on to be a franchisee. What happens next? How do you have a successful grand opening? If you’re asking yourself these questions, we have some Frantastic news for you. 1851 spoke with franchisees from six different brands to get their best practices and advice to help future franchisees succeed. From working closely with corporate teams and completing training to setting up digital marketing campaigns and hiring the right staff, check out the article to learn what steps to take in order to get a franchise location up and running.

2. Franlebrity: Guess who’s back, back again? Have you found yourself thinking, “It’s been too long since they’ve mentioned Papa John’s on The 8?” Never fear — we have some more news to share. After dodging the news for a few months, John Schnatter was granted access to internal documents detailing his departure from the company he founded. This ruling is the latest development in a battle for control of Papa John’s that started when Schnatter was ousted last year.

3. Frash Money: Now the longest in U.S. history, the ramifications of the government shut down are impossible to ignore. That’s why brands are now beginning to comment on it, from social media posts to offering assistance to those in need. Burger King, for example, trolled President Trump’s since-deleted tweet containing a “hamberders” typo. Nestle Waters North America, on the other hand, organized public space cleanup days, with The North Face also posting a call to donate to the National Park Foundation.

4. Frant of the Week: Ghosting isn’t just for dating apps anymore — it’s taking over the workplace as well. In his latest Frant for 1851, No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills recounts his two experiences with workplace ghosting, in which employees just stopped showing up to work without any notice or warning. While burning business bridges has never been looked at as a good idea, it’s unfortunately not uncommon given today’s low unemployment rate. However, those who have ghosted might want to consider changing their behavior as the economy shows signs of a shift.

5. Franch Forward: There are constant challenges facing the franchising industry that have the potential to stop brands from Franching Forward. That’s why we rounded up some of those challenges specific to 2019 on 1851 and outlined a few steps to solve them. For example, working with a consultant or referral networks can help open doors to more leads. Owning your brand’s digital footprint can also help change the narrative surrounding your concept, which is the first thing that candidates see.

6. Fran Funny: Burger King is getting good at trolling McDonald’s. BK just rolled out the Big King XL, which contains 175 percent more beef and one less slice of bread than McDonald’s famous Big Mac. To celebrate the launch, customers were able to redeem unused MacCoines, which were used for McDonald’s 50th anniversary of the Big Mac last year, for a Big King XL at select Chicago locations.

7. Franspiration: “Candidates aren’t in a rush, which means we need to have content out there in multiple places for them to find. If there is a topic that is important to them, we tailor content to meet that search.” - Olivia Chiu, Franchise Marketing Manager at Batteries Plus Bulbs.

8. Franemies vs. Frands: It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year for advertisers — the Super Bowl. While some ads will be labeled as Frands and others will be labeled as Franemies, some brands are already going above and beyond to ensure that their ads are the ones to beat. Pizza Hut, for example, is stepping up its game by launching an augmented reality platform for cornhole and expanding its beer delivery services ahead of the big game. The pizza brand is also partnering with NFLShop.com — all Pizza Hut customers who order merchandise on game day will receive an exclusive discount code for official Super Bowl swag.