Why is local store marketing so hard for multi-unit brands to scale and what is LOMA doing about it? 

Having spent most of my career in the field marketing space for multi-unit brands, let me give you my take on answering this question.   Below I have listed out some key reasons on why it is so difficult.

Every Market and Every Location is Different

• Each store serves a unique community with different demographics, preferences, and cultural factors. Tailoring marketing strategies for every location can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

• A campaign that works in one location may not resonate in another, leading to inefficiencies.

Limited Marketing Experience at the Local Level

• In multi-unit brands, some locations may not have the same expertise or marketing resources as corporate headquarters, resulting in inconsistent execution of campaigns.

• Local managers or franchisees may not have the same level of marketing knowledge or may focus on day-to-day operations rather than strategic marketing efforts.

Resource Limitations (time and money) 

• Smaller locations often lack the budget or personnel to implement  marketing initiatives effectively.

• Scaling local store marketing efforts requires balancing corporate-level assets (like advertising materials) with local-level customization and activation, which can be resource-heavy.

Supporting a Complex Marketing Mix is Difficult

• Multi-unit brands are often trying to target local customers across a wide range of marketing channels—social media, local SEO, geo-targeted ads, events, and more. Managing these channels across hundreds or thousands of locations can be overwhelming and requires sophisticated technology to track and optimize each store’s performance.

• The challenge is finding ways to ensure each location is active and visible across the right channels without requiring too much manual effort from each store.

Coordination Between Teams

• Scaling local marketing efforts often requires a strong relationship between corporate marketing teams, local teams, and third-party vendors. Poor coordination between these groups can lead to misaligned messaging, missed deadlines, or duplication of efforts.

• Many multi-unit brands struggle to create systems that allow for smooth communication and consistency of messaging across all stores.

Data and Analytics Challenges

• Many brands have centralized systems, but they may not be set up to gather detailed data at the individual store level or track the return on investment (ROI) for local campaigns accurately.

Technology & Tools

• Scaling local marketing efforts requires technology platforms that can provide consistent branding, track performance, and integrate with local marketing channels. However, many brands may struggle with outdated or fragmented tools that don't allow for seamless management across multiple locations.

• A lack of integrated, user-friendly platforms can hinder efficient scaling, leaving local teams to rely on manual processes that are time-consuming and prone to errors.

In short, scaling local store marketing requires balancing customization with efficiency, ensuring consistency across locations, and finding ways to automate or streamline processes without sacrificing local relevance. It often involves overcoming challenges related to resources, technology, and the coordination between centralized and local teams.

How can LOMA solve these challenges?  

The LOMA Platform was designed by multi-unit marketers like myself who experienced these challenges first hand.  It is a revolutionary platform designed to scale local marketing for multi unit brands.  

Features of the LOMA Platform include: 

The LOMA Marketplace

This is a curated marketplace of local marketing vendors and an easy-to-use interface for creating unique local plans for individual locations with just a few clicks, it offers a revolutionary approach to local store marketing.

LOMA Tracking

Centralized tracking for all marketing activities down to the local trade area.  Franchisees have the ability to track any local marketing (spend and tactics) that they execute in the local market through a user-friendly interface which gives the corporate marketing team a true line of site to all the local marketing activity being executed across the brand.

LOMA Assist

Multi-unit brands can leverage LOMA to help with everything from data entry into the LOMA Platform to outreach to franchisees to execute local marketing tactics through the LOMA platform.    

Never before has there been a sophisticated tool to help multi-unit brands scale local store marketing.  LOMA is THE local marketing platform developed by local marketers.