Franchise Sales in Québec requires
In general, marketing copy and visuals should always be sensitive to target markets with different cultures, geography and languages around the world. This is equally important with franchise marketing in Québec and other parts of French speaking Canada where the French culture should be respected. So, before you go in guns blazing, take a look at our list of 6 Ways to Handle Franchise Sales in Québec.
How to be successful with franchise sales in Québec
Whether you are a franchise company of Québecois origin or a national or international brand, there are subtle differences between franchise advertising in Québec and advertising in the rest of Canada. But, when you are aware of the different nuances you have a great advantage over your competitors.
6 Ways to handle franchise sales in Québec
1. Acknowledge the difference in culture
Three-quarters of Québecois speak French at home. They are proud of their French orientated culture. Therefore you cannot for instance use English marketing videos and just add French subtitles. This could be interpreted as you seeing French as secondary to English. And this is not how you want to launch your franchise advertising in Québec!
Your material should always have a Québec feeling. For instance, don’t use a Toronto street scene in your material. Include testimonials and case studies of actual Québecois franchisees. Ensure that any signage in your images and videos is in French.
Context is as important as content. Transform your material, don’t only translate it.
2. Respond in the preferred language
Once a prospect responds to an ad, the natural next step is to speak to a sales person. That person should definitely be a native French speaker – not only to make it easier to communicate but also to demonstrate that you have French speakers on your team.
Your franchise advertising in Québec should also be in French and ideally offer a translation in English too, to appeal to the bilingual nature of the Québec population. This includes franchise websites, info kits, webinar presentations and lead nurturing sequences.
3. Put down roots
If you are new to franchise sales in Québec, go out of your way to convince your target market that you want to stay. If you already have a footprint in Québec, ensure that you include local outlets in case studies.
Both French and English speakers respond well to brands that look and feel like they are going to stay in Québec and become part of the community. Generally, they are not very responsive to companies that are seen as a “tourist” in the market.
4. Unique opportunities
Two factors that make franchise sales in Québec attractive and effective are:
- Advertising prices in Québec are generally lower than in the rest of Canada.
- There’s less competition in the French-speaking market. This represents great opportunities for any franchise company or marketing agency that masters advertising in this sector.
5. Be in the right space
Your media buying strategy is an important factor in the success of a campaign. Your marketing agency must be able to identify and purchase the correct online and traditional media advertising channels. A company aware of the trends of franchise sales in Québec will save you a lot of unnecessary expenses if they market on channels relevant to the target audience. A good media buying plan should be in place.
6. Loyalty matters
A gap in the digital marketplace presents another opportunity for companies willing to do the hard work of learning to speak directly to a Québecois audience. 3 Factors are at play:
- There is relatively little French content on popular digital platforms.
- Québecois are ardent supporters of local media.
- Big digital platforms from abroad are seen as threats.
One possible solution: Provide original digital content in French that features local celebrities
Make the most of local knowledge
Before launching into selling franchises in Québec, take the time and research the do’s and don’ts. It’s a trickier market than you may think.
Sparktank has extensive experience with the Québec market and will often team up with local Québecois consultants and translators to ensure our messaging and media buying is on point. If you’re thinking of expanding your franchise into Québec, feel free to reach out for a complimentary consultation.
