A “brand” in the Yellowstone universe might have a different meaning than a “brand” in our business world. Or does it? By Jack Monson

A “brand” in the Yellowstone universe might have a different meaning than a “brand” in our business world. Or does it?

The top-rated show on television has given us many things to think about over the next year or so until we see new episodes. For me, all things lead back to marketing for small businesses and national brands. Here are a few ideas from some of TV’s favorite cowboys that may apply to your franchise.

“The brand isn’t something you earn. It’s something you live up to.”

Think about this before you invest in a franchise. If the brand isn’t worth living up to, getting up every day and doing your best, then it might not be a good fit for you.

“Fair is when one side got exactly what it wanted, in such a way that the other side can’t complain about it.”

This is the unfortunate truth of many negotiations. Make being on the right side of this lesson your goal.

“There’s no fighting here. You wanna fight somebody, fight me.”

As it applies to branding, this should come from the franchise brand version of the ranch foreman, the chief marketing officer. The guardian of the brand should not allow anyone to muddy the brand, and she/he should accept challenges from anyone in the system who wants to improve the brand.

“You can’t fix a broken wagon wheel, but you can use the parts to make a new one.”

Anyone marketing an entire franchise or an individual location needs to learn this on day one. You will most likely start with something unfixable. But, you’ve got to get rolling!

“Whenever something good is trying to happen, something bad is trying to stop it.”

Remember this when you’re planning your marketing for the year/quarter/month. You will run into resistance from consumers, from your staff, and definitely from competitors. Be ready for it.

“You build something worth having, someone’s gonna try to take it.”

This is the Number One rule in branding. And the converse is also true; if no one is trying to take your job, steal your ideas, or copy your brand, it might not be as valuable as you wish.

By Jack Monson

Jack Monson is the host of the Social Geek Radio Network, home of the Number One podcasts in franchising including The Franchise News Podcast. Monson has been working with franchisees and small businesses in social media marketing for 14 years. socialgeekradio.com, jack@socialgeekradio.com