Choosing to own a branded franchise comes with many benefits, particularly around marketing. Your investment buys your business instant name recognition and a polished logo. Most of your build and design decisions are made by a team at corporate, so you never have to worry about picking colors or defining store layout. So does this mean you can put a big checkmark next to “branding” in your ownership responsibility list? No.
For branded fuel stations, two brands come into play. First, of course, is specific to the product: Chevron, Shell, BP, etc. These brands come with a proprietary fuel blend and identifying promotional material to help customers locate it (logo, store colors, signage, advertising, etc.) They may also include several operational rules such as store hours, return policies, etc. However, there’s a second layer of branding that some owners forget: the owner’s brand.
While most people build or purchase a business to make money, a company’s brand often takes roots in why the owner chose to open a fuel station or convenience
store specifically. For example, was it:
- To fill a need in the community for quality products delivered quickly?
- To provide friendly, high-touch service to consumers?
- To make the town a respite for travelers on their way to a nearby tourist destination?
- To provide a safe location for people to shop and fill up after dark?
Answering the question, “Why did I get into this business in the first place?” will take introspection and will shape a brand that makes your business stand out from other branded fuel stations nearby.
How does the owner’s brand appear in business?
It’s easy to see the fuel product’s brand: there’s the logo on the building. “Seeing” the owner’s brand is different. The owner’s brand exists in procedural elements and decision-making not limited by the fuel brand agreement.
For example, a business created to provide better customer service than other similar businesses will be more selective in hiring, pay higher hourly wages, invest more in training, focus on teaching decision-making versus rule-following, and perhaps provide several comfortable sets of uniforms to each team member. Employee performance may be based on customer satisfaction scores rather than productivity measures such as items sold per hour.
A business focusing on being a safe location after dark might hire additional employees to work graveyard shifts, invest in more exterior lighting, have procedures specific to parking lot cleaning/organization at dusk, and install security cameras. Management may be responsible for developing business relationships with local law enforcement to learn about security risks and preventative strategies.
When successfully deployed, the owner’s brand becomes the company’s culture. That’s when the magic happens.
A strong culture helps employees understand their roles better, feel more confident about making decisions, and become more secure in their work. Customers can read a business’s culture and decide where to spend their money based on which companies best align with their own needs and beliefs.
If you’d like to learn more about defining your company’s brand, contact GP Energy today.
At GP Energy, we help our clients develop their businesses to achieve their goals. We can help you search for the right location, select between branded or unbranded fuel, build your business brand, diversify your product line, select ancillary services to boost your bottom line, and so much more. By partnering with GP Energy, we can help your business unlock its potential with new opportunities and achieve unimaginable success. Contact us today to get started.