The 8 | September 28, 2018

1. Frantastic: We’re kicking off this week’s edition of The 8 with some Frantastic news for brands utilizing voice technology — the benefits associated with that technology are kicking in. There are multiple ways that brands can leverage voice technology to boost their businesses, including driving product purchases, heightening customer loyalty and shifting spending behaviors. Voice technology also provides a platform for buyers to engage with customer service channels more effectively.

2. Franlebrity: This week’s Franlebrity is Alex Bingham, President and CEO of The Little Gym. Bingham was first introduced to the franchise brand as a toddler — he was enrolled as a student at The Little Gym’s original location. Since then, he’s gone on to rise through the ranks, ultimately helping the brand grow to 400 units. In an interview with 1851 as a part of our Franchise Development Leader series, Bingham said, “What I love about franchising is the ability to impact more than one constituency at the same time—both the ability to have a really positive impact on franchise owners by helping them realize their dreams, and also add value to the consumer’s life through the products and services we are offering.”

3. Frash Money: Those still on Snapchat will now have the opportunity to shop for products on Amazon directly through the app’s camera. This feature, which is currently being rolled out across the platform, gives users the ability to capture a product or barcode that then prompts a product card to pop up. That then will redirect customers to Amazon to complete their purchase.

4. Frant of the Week: Have you ever heard the story about the janitor who put the man on the moon? If you haven’t, head to No Limit Agency* CEO Nick Powills’s latest Frant on 1851. In this week’s column, Powills explains why every person in a company — regardless of their ranking on the totem pole — plays a critical role to a brand’s mission. That means that buy-in needs to happen across all levels of an organization, and that every position within a company should be valued.

5. Franch Forward: If McDonald’s wants to continue Franching Forward, it’s going to need to be nicer to its chickens. A new report shows that the fast food giant received a warning from a prominent shareholder saying that it needed to adopt more humane chicken welfare policies. The warning goes to show that consumers — and investors — across the board are taking ethics and animal welfare into consideration when deciding where to spend their money.

6. Fran Funny: Why did the football coach shake the vending machine? He needed a quarterback.

7. Franspiration: For our Franspiration this week, we have a sneak peek at our upcoming interview with Bo Jackson. Watch The 8 to see the clip!

8. Franemies vs. Frands: Our Frands at Franchise Business Review are currently conducting their “Best Franchises to Work For Survey.” This survey is open to all professionals and employees that work in the franchise industry, and simply asks for participants to share a little bit of information about their work experience. Results from the survey will then be released later this year. For more information or to take the survey, head to FBR’s site.