Puddle Ducks had been a regular attendee of the Coconut Creatives Franchise Marketing Workshops at the end of 2011 and in to the start of 2012. They began working with Coconut Media in January 2012 and built a relationship that we feel matches their own company ethos – to live life, swimmingly.

Puddle Ducks deliver swimming lessons with a difference. Each class comprises a carefully balanced set of activities to promote increased confidence in the water and other skills that can be transferred into everyday life. In 2007, Puddle Ducks took the leap into becoming a franchise and rapidly grew to 20 centres across the UK. They plan to extend their reach to 63 centres over the next five years.

Project Outline:

Puddle Ducks wanted a project-based campaign that would really lift the exposure of their brand. We therefore spent time discussing their objectives and key messages and incorporated this into a 3-month PR project.

Project Outcomes:

• 1 article a month, researched, written and sold into target media
• Coverage online and in print franchise media plus coverage through social media such as Twitter

James is passionate about the importance of producing high-quality design in business, “We interact with hundreds of products, images and advertisements every day which have all been designed to fit a purpose. If design isn’t taken seriously, it can have a negative effect on a brand or product, meaning good design essential to any successful business.”

Based at the Bournemouth office with Sally Butters, James grew up in the surrounding area and loves the stunning coastline and relaxed pace of life.

After graduating from Southampton Solent University in 2011 with a BA Honours degree in Design Studies, James has a combination of graphic design, business and marketing experience that makes him an ideal Coconut. Currently studying web design in his free time, James continually strives to grow his skillset.

“It’s important to keep up with the fast paced world of design and the ever-developing world of technology in order to stay on top of the game and offer clients the most current solution to their marketing needs.”

The Spare Time Stuff

As a major pastime, James is a keen photographer and has travelled as far as the Ukraine to capture the Chernobyl area in photos that he one day hopes to publish.

James has a huge interest in movies, so much so that he often has difficulty finding something new to watch! Music is also a big influence in James’ life, with a fascination in band artwork steering his career choices whilst he performed with different bands.

With a passion for fast cars, James indulges his thrill-seeking with downhill mountain biking, scuba diving and skateboarding when he can find the time.

Sally, will go through all your current materials and activities, review your messaging and target audiences to uncover where things can be improved. This review will help give clarity on ways to improve your current approach and achieve more leads!

• Face to face Strategy session with a Media focus
• Hosted at our Bournemouth Seafront creative location
• Follow up Action Plan provided

Similar follow up document to our Peak District Strategy Session, you will receive an Action Plan afterwards highlighting clear areas for improvement on your franchise recruitment collateral, messaging and target audiences. This is delivered to you as a written Action Plan for you to implement.

This Strategy Session with a focus on Media, including the follow up Action Plan is chargeable at £397 + VAT.

• Face to face Strategy session
• Hosted at our Peak District creative location
• Follow up Action Plan provided

In short, your entire current situation is reviewed in line with what you want to achieve (franchise sales objectives). We will help organise you and put together a road map of activity for you to go away and implement, by way of a written Action Plan.

This session including the follow up Action Plan is chargeable at £397 + VAT. The Action Plan highlights all of the activity you need to do in order to get you the best possible chance of achieving your objectives for growth. This is a plan that you take away and implement yourself, with your own team.

This package helps franchisors keep their video content flexible and up to date.

This style package is GROUND BREAKING in the video production sector.

Your 3 minute video could be focused on one of the following areas:

• Video Testimonials
• Company Overview
• Video Case Studies
• Top 10 Tips Video
• Product Demo Video
• Franchise Package (Overview + Video Testimonials)
• Video Newsletters

To view an example of what you could end up with, please see our workshop video on our home page

They are bored of throwing out the same copy or case studies that have been used over and over again in magazines and online listings and want something new. Prospective franchisees DEMAND good quality copy and informative case studies and generally turn towards those Franchisors that are creative, forward thinking and on-the-ball.

With this project, we work with you to produce a 12 month supply of professional editorial and PR for your franchise offering. So when you approach a deadline, you can pick something professional and well crafted to send to an editor, instead of re-using old tired content (or worse, submitting something you’ve thrown together at the last minute).

This is perfect for all franchisors that need a bank of quality and varied copy which has been professional researched, written, proofed and ready to use. Tailored to your needs but typically includes 10 pieces of copy which cover all franchisor needs for on and offline marketing communications such as:

• Your Perfect Pitch for your franchise offering for use at exhibitions and all written communication and in addition to train staff
• Franchisee Case studies focusing on key areas that we know journalists want to hear about!
• 1,000 word, 800 word, 400 word and 200 word versions of your franchise offering for use in magazines, show guides, at exhibitions and online
• Franchisor case study to give additional credibility with prospects
• Customer success case study to show market demand and satisfaction
• Professional and key word ready online promotional profile broken down into sections for use on any franchise recruitment website such as FranchiseDirect.com, WhichFranchise.com or The-Franchise-Shop etc.

A penny for your thoughts?

If you would like our thoughts on a piece of your existing copy, send it through to our team and we’ll give you some quick-win feedback FOC!

Not sure if your advertising messages and bookings are attracting the right type of lead? Not sure if you are putting the right budget to your advertising activity?

If you’re not sure about any of the above, you’d be completely normal! For this project, we use our media experience, Budget Matrix calculator, franchisee profiling, copywriting and design experience to audit your advertising activities. All you need to provide us with is:

• Your advertising bookings for the last 12 months
• Your leads list for the last 12 months
• Your recruitment target for the next 12 months
• Copies of your ad artwork
• Contact details of your franchisee

We will provide you with:

• An ideal advertising spend for the next 12 months including a breakdown of which online and print media this should be directed towards
• A review of your artwork design and messaging with suggestions to action
• A selection of franchisee profiles to improve your advertising targeting

Done and dusted!

If you’d like to learn more about our methods and pick up some useful techniques to use back in the office, join our Franchise Recruitment Workshop programme. Dates are planned all through the year with different topics focusing on everything ‘franchising’ from strategy to tactical activities you can implement yourself.

You will receive our full Coconut Creatives prospectus review report which details:

• Your original prospectus with accompanying notes on how to improve it
• Image review on what you can use and where to improve your prospectus look and feel
• Ideas for case studies, testimonials – where to use them and how to include them effectively
• Revised and improved ‘next steps’ page so you utilise a better ‘call to action’ to help move from prospect to franchisee
• An ideal franchisee profile review for you to use to improve your next recruitment season

We offer a small number of Prospectus reviews each month, so call the office on 01725 511673 for availability.

This is a complete review of your current marketing strategy, where we assess your current situation and make recommendations for the next 12 months. The outcome is a tailored and complete 12 month strategy document delivered electronically (so you can tweak it at a later stage!) and we also send you a hard copy version to keep in your office and share with colleagues.

• Broken down into month by month activity
• Full Media recommendations included in your plan: magazines, websites, social media channels and exhibitions
• Your plan is always based on your franchise recruitment growth objectives
• We run your objectives through our Budget Matrix to generate a benchmark budget

This is a professional marketing plan that you, as the client can implement and follow, with all activities, deadlines, costs and notes included. We can of course assist you with plan implementation when you require help.

Written by a qualified Chartered Marketer with input from the whole Coconut Creatives and Media team utilising our expertise, latest industry thinking and an understanding of what is working for other Franchisors across industry and sector.

And yet, the inconvenient truth is that we often miss one essential part of our bodies… our feet.

This does not include the occasional pedicure or cosmetic treatment, but deep-rooted understanding about the foundations on which we stand. Just like a house, if your body’s foundation is out of line, everything else will be too, which can lead to painful problems with feet, knees, hips, the back, and muscular system.

There are now 14 million people in the UK aged over 60 and this is projected to increase by 50% over the next 25 years. Over half the new cases of foot care come from people over 65, with 58% of these choosing to receive this care through a private provider rather than the NHS.

Foot Solutions is one of only a few companies offering dedicated services to fill this growing need. They use the most advanced technology and full understanding of feet and gait biomechanics to fit each customer’s unique feet with the highest quality footwear available. Their methods improve comfort and body alignment, helping customers to achieve better health through their feet. The bespoke solutions are offered in a range of attractive footwear brands, delivered through conveniently-located retail stores.

John Linehan is the Managing Director of Foot Solutions Ireland & UK. He says, “Our customers come back to us time and again because we provide such excellent service and really listen to their needs. Each consultation takes between 30-40 minutes so we can fully assess their requirements. One customer recently commented that they were very impressed with the professional manner in which they were served and that, although they felt under no pressure to make a purchase, they’re glad they did because it has significantly reduced their back problems. Feedback like that makes you proud to work with a world-leading franchise under such a strong ethos – it’s the root of our success.”

Foot Solutions are the world’s largest health and wellness franchise focussing on foot care and have a proven business model operating in over 240 locations worldwide. With a growing UK-based network, this franchise opportunity is proving to be a step in the right direction for many motivated individuals.

“Foot Solutions provide good products in a market with very little competition. They have a number of unique selling points such as a good margin and strong opportunities for growth. I know the health and wellness sector is expanding due to the aging population, which gives me more chance of being resilient in an economic downturn,” says David Dwyer, the Foot Solutions franchisee in Dublin South City.

Andrew Scowcroft, Manager of the Foot Solutions franchise in Plymouth adds, “I recognised the market opportunity that Foot Solutions was offering due to my background and my wife being a podiatrist. I looked into the numbers and realised there was evidence of the strong franchise model being delivered. There was replicated success across the network and solid systems in place to maintain the growth potential.”

If you’re looking for an opportunity to manage a growing brand in an exclusive territory, please visit http://www.footsolutionsfranchise.co.uk/